MIT research investigates solar panel configurations for greater power generation, with angled, stacked design, like an accordion, being the most effective, even on cloudy days. …
… “The accordion-style arrays also work better because they receive solar energy from all angles rather than in just one direction.” …
Via Digital Trends: 3D Solar Design.
MIT research findings.
Panasonic along with Mitsui O.S.K Lines, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are working on technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from ocean going ships.
The test platform is the “EMERALD ACE”. The ship will be fitted with “ … solar panels (160kW planned) and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries (approximately 2.2MWh planned) … “
The solar panels charge batteries that provide power when in the harbor – in place of diesel generators reducing CO2 emissions. The batteries are used as ballast and do not impact the carrying capacity of the ship.
Via: Panasonic LINK
As pricing for renewable energy infrastructure decreases, the return on investment for projects is increasing, driving a shift in investments. Market competition is lowering the installed cost of solar energy systems while improving the viability of proposed projects. …
… “Clean Edge, which tracks developments in the clean-energy markets, estimates that the cost to install photovoltaic solar systems will drop by almost two-thirds with the next decade.” …
Via Forbes: Renewable Energy Projects.
SheaHomes and SolarCity are partnering to bring consumers the “No Electric Bill” home.
“ … expected to be one of the largest net-zero electric home projects in the U.S. when completed. …”
SheaXero homes have these green features … solar power, energy efficient windows, Energy Star appliances,CFL bulks, blown in wall insulation, programmable thermostats, motion sensors for lights, insulated garage doors and more.
“SheaXero is a state-of-the-art package that combines a sleek, low profile solar power system with over 30 groundbreaking green features to completely eliminate your electric bill …”
The “No electric Bill” homes are expected to be available in SheaHome communicites in the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and Washington.
The Sphelar cell design by Kyosemi uses its shape and size, in the range of a few millimeters, to
harness more light for converting to energy. Sphelar comes in a number of configurations, including an array, cases, and domes. …
… “energy conversion capabilities are far more efficient than flat panel designs …” …
Via Gizmodo: Spherical Solar Cells.
Kyosemi Corporation operates as an R&D-oriented company committed to assisting the progress of leading-edge industries with optoelectronic technology since its establishment in 1980.
Nectar – in Berwyn, PA – has 238 solar panels in the back of the parking lot that “ … will produce enough energy to run the entire restaurant. “ The expense was $300,000 and “ … the government will subsidize 30 percent … pay for itself in roughly seven years.”
They are also trying to be sustainable by “ … building a restaurant garden, complete with fresh herbs and veggies …”
Via: Main Line Today LINK
and Nectar LINK
Exelon is repurposing a brownfield site in the Chicago area into a solar farm. The 41 acre site have 32,292 solar panels and generates 14,000 mWatt-hrs yearly.
“ … uses SunPower® solar tracking systems that tilt the panels toward the sun as it moves across the sky, increasing energy production by up to 25%.”
The energy generated by the solar panels offsets “ … more than 30 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year …”
Exelon also remediated the site which had been vacant for more than 30 years.
Via: Excelon LINK
Cornell professor Francis Moon (photo) has done some research on generating wind power wit
hout turbine blades.
The research looks at “ … vibro-wind power: harvesting en
ergy from the wind as it flows around commercial and residential buildings. …”
If scalable this would might be a source of power in many large cities bringing the generation source close to the point of use. Large citie4s with multi story buildings may have more power potential with vibro-wind than solar as the roof-print dwarfs the outside surface area.
Via: Cornell University LINK
Design firm OnionWorks was selected to design new net-zero energy homes on a site in Philadelphia’s East Falls neighborhood.
Plans call for 120 + housing units and retail space with sustainability and low energy use part of the plans as well as proximity to mass transit.
“ … energy for … heating, cooling, light and home hot water will be generated on site, with green roofs and a solar panel array. … indoor bike storage … electric vehicle charging ports and spaces for Zip Cars.”
While not a sure thing plans call for construction to start in 2013 with completion in 2014.
Via: NewsWorsks LINK
Creating solar panels takes lots of energy and time in a furnace. A new “Optical Cavity” furnace developed by the NREL can create more efficient solar cells.
“ … Optical Cavity Furnace … uses optics to heat and purify solar cells at unmatched precision while sharply boosting the cells' efficiency.”
“ … can … maximize efficiency while minimizing heating and cooling costs.”
The end result is more efficient solar panels.
Via: National Renewable Energy Laboratory LINK
GE recently received federal funding (from US-DOE) to find more cost effective ways to bring solar to homes.
One part of solar PV (photovoltaic) system that they are looking to improve is the inverters that convert DC to AC. Current inverters have drawbacks including “… higher cost, less than ideal efficiency. Research will focus on integrated inverters that are lower in cost and more efficient to help get the cost closer to retail electric prices.
Another opportunity is to reduce the weight of systems. Systems today are 2 – 3 l
bs / sq-ft with external (to the panels) wiring. GE is looking to develop systems in then range of 1 lb / sq-ft. with connected wiring. These could unfold at the installation site and be ready to install – without the need for heavy racking systems.
Via: GE Global Research LINK
Infineon Raceway has a number of green indicatives underway including solar power (over 1,600 panels), recycling and using sheep to cut the grass instead of gas powered equipment.
“Since 2004 … has recycled more than 141 tons (282,541 pounds) of materials … “ including 14,000 tires.
“ … partnership with Panasonic Corporation [on a] … major solar installation that accounts for 41-percent of the raceway’s overall energy usage …”
The video below gives more details on the sustainability efforts at Infineon Raceway.
Peninsula Packaging uses recycled materials and green energy. I recently saw some apples packed in one of their clamshells that noted the plastic was 70 % recycled and made with 50% solar energy.
They own and operate “ … one of the largest privately funded renewable energy solar "farm" in North America.
”
Over the past 3 years their use of recycled plastics and green energy have resulted in some impressive results …
“ … 2.9 billion drink bottles recycled … ..enough electricity saved to power 20,600 homes … over 84,000 tons of green house gas … was NOT emitted in the atmosphere … “
Via: Peninsula Packaging Company Link
Germantown Friends School’s (Philadelphia) new science center is very green. The facility is energy efficient, has rainwater cisterns, a green roof, solar panels and a dashboard that provides real time data on water and power usage.
Click HERE to see the current dashboard information and to learn more about this unique facility.
The building uses geothermal wells for heating and cooling to greatly reduce the energy costs.
The cisterns collect rainwater for use as gray water for flushing toilets leading to significant water savings. The green roof absorbs rainwater that would otherwise have to be treated by the city sever system.
The facility will receive LEED certification.
Via: Germantown Friends LINK
SolFocus used its installation partners feedback to design its new concentrator panel, simplifying the structure, its packaging, and the deployment. …
… “The SF-1136SX is constructed using Multi-Panel Assemblies (MPA's) of four panels each, with nine MPAs comprising a single array.
The MPA's are precision-assembled at the factory and completely eliminate any field alignment requirements.
Installation of the equipment now comprises a series of non-specialized assembly steps, followed by a totally automatic calibration process prior to the start of energy generation.” …
Via SolFocus: Solar Panel Installation.
Duke researchers are building copper wire films at the nano-scale that would serve to lower the cost and sustain the performance of solar cells by replacing more expensive
materials. …
… “research shows that the copper nanowire films have the same properties as those currently used in electronic devices and solar cells, but are less expensive to manufacture.” …
Via Duke University: Copper Nanowires.
Collaborative, cross-university research program explores ways to control the density of quantum dots using nano-techniques, creating a more efficient solar cell. …
… “The colloidal quantum dots examined by Asbury and his team members yielded the highest electrical currents, and the highest overall power-conversion efficiency, ever seen in colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells.” …
Via Penn State University: Quantum Dot Solar Cell.
Michigan Technological University adds talent to its roster of research-oriented educators in order to achieves its energy objectives. The University’s strategic initiatives include development of future energy systems, with objectives in energy generation, mitigation, materials, and production modeling. …![JoshuaPearce[1]](http://greentechnolog.com/Windows-Live-Writer/Next-generation-energy-systems-takes-res_A78B/JoshuaPearce%5B1%5D_2.jpg "JoshuaPearce[1]")
… “Joshua Pearce will greatly add to Michigan Tech’s expertise in the area of renewable energy generation and photovoltaic materials. He received his PhD from Penn State in 2004 for research on the development of low-cost solar photovoltaic technology.
Since then, he has been recognized internationally for his work in advancing renewable energy. He is working on projects that range from fundamental photovoltaic materials development and device physics to more applied systems design and performance.” …
Via Michigan Tech: Energy Initiatives.
The State of Oregon University System will deploy solar panels across multiple campuses to generate five megawatts of power. OIT will derive all of its power from renewable sources, leveraging this solar project in combination with an existing geothermal energy installation. …
… “Solar By Degrees will utilize solar panels from Hillsboro-based SolarWorld, solar inverters from PV Powered of Bend, will use Oregon Electric of Portland as the lead contractor for the project, and will work with Oregon contractors to complete installation and related work at OIT in Klamath Falls, OSU in Corvallis, and EOU in La Grande.” …
Via Oregon University System: Solar Power Project.
Installation of solar panels on residential roofs in the U.S. continues on a modest positive trend, while the total opportunity for rooftop solar power remains significant. However, the percentage mix of residential solar projects is falling as more industrial and commercial projects are initiated. …
… “From the first quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter, installations of U.S. residential solar systems rose from 62 megawatts to 74 megawatts (enough to power about 15,000 homes) …” …
Via Yale 360: Rooftop Solar.
With Suntrica’s SolarStrap™ you never have to worry about runnning out of batteries for your small electronic devices.
Suntrica’s SolarStrap™ combines a solar panel with an integrated battery pack to store power for charging small electronics such as cell phones, mp3 players and is “ … compatible with most … devices utilizing 5 V charging voltage”
“SolarStrap™ is… designed specifically for harsh outdoor use. … responce to the … charging challenge in developing markets having limited access to electricity. “
Via: Suntrica Ltd. LINK
Ford and SunPower have a program where customers of the Ford Focus Electric car are offered the opting to purchase solar PV system that would generate free and clean energy to offset the grid power used to charge the car.
The system can generate ….” an average of 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. … sized to accommodate … about 1,000 miles per month.
The price of the solar system is approx. $10,000 after incentives and rebates.
Via: Ford LINK
The US DOE is sponsoring the 2011 Solar Decathlon – where 20 colleges and universities bring houses they designed and built to DC to compete in an “energy-off”.
The winner will be determined by the team that “ … best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.”
Houses should be …. “affordable, attractive …” and provide a healthy / comfortable living space and ideally generate more energy that it uses from wind and / or solar systems
Check it out if you are going to be in or near DC … and look for teams from around the world as well as the US.
Via: US DOE LINK
DuPont has bought innovaLight.
“Innovalight has developed … patented technologies and materials that allow crystalline silicon cell manufacturers to produce solar cells with higher conversion efficiencies. “
innovaLights goal was to help manufacturers of solar cells improve the performance(higher conversion rates) of the solar cells and reduce the manufactured cost.
Via: innovaLight LINK
The CBS series “The Good Wife” is a green production. From the practices on the set to the scenes they film they are being green.
The set has made significant reductions in waste … using soda fountains instead of cans of soda, mostly eliminating paper plates and plastic ware, using reusable water bottles and sending scene / script rewrites electronically rather than printing paper copies.
They even “lead by example” by modeling green behaviors … having characters carry reusable water bottles instead of single use plastic bottles.
See the video for more information … two of the actors and the Executive Producer tell how they live green in real life. This is an impressive story.
Via: Smart Planet LINK
China entrepreneur supports the UC Riverside engineering college with endowment that will foster energy research, initially in storage systems. …
… “The Winston Chung Global Energy Center will focus initially on research in energy storage, but in collaboration with solar and wind power generating companies, the City of Riverside, and local power consumers, it will be at the forefront of creating a new smart energy grid. Integrating energy production with new storage and distribution technologies, the Global Energy Center will allow Riverside to be a world-wide leader in renewable energy.” …
Via University of California Riverside: Inaugural Fellow.
The Greek austerity plan may help balance spending and debt servicing, but growth will help the country recover. Greece is positioned geographically to harvest renewable energy, demonstrating solar and wind technology leadership, and should plan accordingly. …
… “Finally, with considerable potential for wind and solar energy, green technologies can, in the longer run, become a major source of growth. Greece and its friends should spend as much time and brain power on designing the short and long-run elements of a growth strategy …” …
Via Brookings Institution: Greece Growth Opportunity.
The nanomaterial graphene could benefit from continuing research into processes to apply it in production. The material has been found to fold, reducing its conductivity. Further research will help scientists better understand how to manage the efficiency. …
… “UB-led study suggests that companies hoping to incorporate graphene into such products as conductive inks, ultrafast transistors and solar panels could benefit from more basic research on the nanomaterial.” …
Via University of Buffalo: Graphene Conductivity.
Univ of Delaware expert will conduct research with colleagues in the Republic of Azerbaijan, where harvesting the sun’s energy is unexploited. …
… “His expertise in thin-film photovoltaics, or solar cells made from plastics, is of special interest to scientists in Baku State University’s Nano Center because solar power is considered an untapped resource in Eastern Europe, a region that receives abundant sunshine throughout much of the year.” …
Via University of Delaware: Material Science Research.
Syed I Shah, University of Delaware.
Baku State University’s Nano Center.
Brookings-led research team has evaluated alternative energy sources for the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and presented their findings in following paper. The region has not even begun to harness the alternative energy sources that are available. Abundant solar resources have not been harvested. And, geothermal power is practically non-existent. The Gulf States have an opportunity to chart a course to lower-carbon development. …
… “Solar power has the potential to serve as a source of regional power supply, as an opportunity to develop regional technological expertise, and as the basis of a new export market for the region. … While the region boasts sizeable geothermal potential, this resource has been relatively unexploited …” …
Via Brookings Institution: Low carbon development in countries of the Gulf (PDF).
SCHOTT Solar and BASF have developed a new photovoltaic panel concept which is modular, lightweight, easy to install, and integrates channels with ventilation. The pan is made from the BASF resin Ultramid B and is a frameless double-glazed solar module. …
… “The dimensions of the double-glazed PV module, which has been designed for large roof areas, combine exceptionally good product characteristics with a high efficiency per unit area.
The integrative solution ensures a considerable reduction in the number of steps necessary for installation. Working direction during roofing is left to the roofer.
The ease of handling provided by the built-in handles permits use of frameless double-glazed modules, thereby preventing the accumulation of dirt on the surface.” …
Via BASF: Roof Integrated Photovoltaics.
University of Texas now has the largest solar system in town as it celebrates the completion of photovoltaic power on its J. J. Pickle Research Campus. …
… “Consisting of two arrays of solar panels, the photovoltaic system is the largest completed solar project at one location in Austin.” …
Via University of Texas at Austin: Largest Solar Installation.
Solar Energy Project (PDF): The project consists of two grid-tied solar power systems. One system will be a ground-mounted array of solar panels in a field south of the Microelectronics & Engineering Research Center building. The other system will be an array of panels over a newly constructed carport west of the Bureau of Economic Geology Administration building. A monitoring system will track the energy generated at each installation.
University Facilities Services (PDF).
With energy costs still climbing interest in energy efficient homes continues to grow.
Blu Homes manufactures very energy efficient homes. " ...cost on average 50 to 70 percent less to operate on a monthly basis than conventional homes. Performing significantly beyond even Energy Star standards, ... " .
Lower energy costs translate to lower operating costs, lower energy use and a lower carbon footprint.
Check out the details on the Breezehouse (a green home with lots of natural light) - from BluHomes. Green features include passive solar, high efficiency heating / ventilating / AC systems, solar panels and tight insulated construction.
Via: Blu Homes LINK
Boston College and MIT collaborate to research improvements to the conversion efficiency of solar thermal panels.
Nanotech materials and panel design techniques
combine to boost the electric power conversion significantly. …
… “The team’s introduced two innovations: a better light-absorbing surface through enhanced nanostructured thermoelectric materials, which was then placed within an energy-trapping, vacuum-sealed flat panel.
Combined, both measures added enhanced electricity-generating capacity to solar-thermal power technology …” …
Via Boston College: Solar Thermal Panels.
Boston College Professor of Physics Zhifeng Ren.
Research focus areas.
MIT scientists have found a novel way to use virus' to improve the efficiency of PV cells. The virus' " ... perform detailed assembly work at the microscopic level ... based on findings that carbon nanotubes ... can enhance the efficiency of ... solar cell's surface."
The virus' are used to " ... control the arrangement of the nanotubes ... so they can’t short out the circuits ..."
Improvements in power conversion efficiency are close to 1/3.
Via: MIT LINK
Oregon has a stretch of the Corridor of the Future - at interchange of I-5 and I-205 in Oregon. Ground mounted solar panels that provide power used at the interchange.
" ... 104 kilowatt ground-mounted solar array ... supplies about one-third of the energy needed for illumination at the site.
" ... energy ... feeds into the grid during the day ... At night ... energy flows back from the grid to light the interchange. ..."
Too see the current energy stats click the LINK
Via: Oregon.gov LINK
Street sgns and utility power poles are almost everywhere. A project at The University of Nebraska is looking into ways to use wind power and solar panels on signs to power roadway lights and traffic signals. Any excess power will go into the local energy grid.
The units combine solar and wind generators and 
feature batteries for storage. " ... Each unit consists of a wind turbine generator and one or more PV panels mounted on the top of the pole for electric power generation."
" ... overall system involves power generation, storage, distribution, grid operation, and demand-side management.
Via: University of Nebraska - Lincoln LINK
Dynamic Solar installs 250kW solar system for the Philadelphia Water Department at its local pollution control facility. …
… “Dynamic Solar teamed with CETCO Contracting Services and Nucero Electric to design, engineer and install the 250kW ground mounted system.
The array is located at the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant and is expected to generate approximately 330,000 kilowatt hours of solar electricity per year.” …
Via Dynamic Solar: Philadelphia's Largest Solar System.
Philadelphia wastewater treatment (Link).
The US Department of Energy is enabling the development of advanced solar photovoltaic manufacturing processes through its SunShot Initiative.
The agency has selected its initial portfolio of projects for up to $112.5 million of investment over five years.
The program will create a collaborative network of universities, public labs, and photovoltaic manufacturers focused on commercializing new processes.
The initial project portfolio:
… “The Department's SunShot Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships will help the solar power industry overcome technical barriers and reduce costs for PV installations, help the U.S. regain the lead in the global market for solar technologies, and provide support for clean energy jobs for years to come.
By engaging multiple companies across the PV supply chain, the SunShot Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships program intends to have broad impact on the U.S. solar industry.
Selected projects will create organizations designed to bring PV companies together in a coordinated environment to address common technology needs.
The facilities established through these projects will provide services, tools, and facilities to PV companies and suppliers to assist them in developing and demonstrating new technologies and in making the transition to commercial production.” …
Via Department of Energy: Solar Manufacturing Partnerships.
Storing and concentrating the power generated from solar panels so that it can be used throughout the day is key to driving utilization of this form of renewable energy. Storage
technologies range from batteries to pumped hydro. The pumped hydro storage technique stores energy in the form of water, which has been pumped from a lower elevation to a higher elevation reservoir. Then, when demand increases, the stored water is released to power turbines. …
… “But add storage to allow a utility to deliver in the evening the solar power that was generated during the morning and afternoon, and — through the magic of storage — the figure zooms dramatically.” …
Via Wired: Renewable Energy.
MIT researcher Daniel Nocera discusses the results of his team’s artificial leaf at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. The research team has created an advanced solar cell, based on bio-mimicry of the photosynthesis process used by plants.
The leaf-like cell chemically splits water into hydrogen and oxygen for storage in a fuel cell for supplying power needs. The Nocera solar leaf is constructed of inexpensive nickel and cobalt catalysts and material.
The chemical reaction does not require extreme conditions of temperature or pressure to achieve its photosynthesis efficiency. Nocera’s team will continue to seek methods to increase the solar conversion efficiency. …
… “The device bears no resemblance to Mother Nature's counterparts on oaks, maples and other green plants, which scientists have used as the model for their efforts to develop this new genre of solar cells.
About the shape of a poker card but thinner, the device is fashioned from silicon, electronics and catalysts, substances that accelerate chemical reactions that otherwise would not occur, or would run slowly.
Placed in a single gallon of water in a bright sunlight, the device could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day, Nocera said.
It does so by splitting water into its two components, hydrogen and oxygen.
The hydrogen and oxygen gases would be stored in a fuel cell, which uses those two materials to produce electricity, located either on top of the house or beside it.” …
Via Eureka Alert: Artificial Leaves, ACS Press Release.
American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute.
Daniel Nocera at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Daniel Nocera research team.
Pythagoras Solar’s energy efficient windows will generate solar power during a pilot project at Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower. The test is being conducted on south facing windows on the 56th floor. The solar windows are an example of building integrated photovoltaics, or BIPVs. …
… “The pilot project, deployed in November last year on the south facing windows of the Willis Tower's 56th floor, uses a building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solution that has the potential to expand to a surface area allowing over two megawatts of solar power generation.
Willis Tower provides an example of how sustainable modernization endeavors are about more than reducing carbon emissions but also about re-investing in the local economy.” …
Via Pythagoras Solar: Pilot Installation.
85 acre Brooklyn Bridge Park was built with sustainability in mind ... from EV service vehicles to reused / recycled construction materials from prior buildings on the site.
" ... Designed and built by BE, ... the first solar-powered charging station in New York City and one of only a few in the world. ..."
Over the projected 25 year life of the EV chargers will save "... more than $200,000 in gasoline costs ... More than 530 tons of CO2 ..."
The EV charging system has 24 PV panels with battery storage for 7 x 24 availability can produce 5.6 Kw.
Via: Beautiful Earth Group LINK
Portland, Maine has signed a deal with Ameresco to cut its carbon footprint. The project covers approx. 15 years and is to cost $9.4 million. The city expects to save $17 million over the life of the project.
What is unique about this engagement is that there is no upfront cost to Portland. "Ameresco will guarantee ... cash flows ... will exceed the cash requirements for the project, offsetting the costs ..."
Per their website ... Ameresco "delivers ... solutions on both sides of the meter ... leverage renewable energy and achieve ... sustainability goals for our ...customers."
Part of the improvements will be a 2,000 watt solar array at one of the schools.
The agreement covers 45 city buildings and 15 schools.
Ameresco is based in Framingham, Mass.
Via: Ameresco LINK
to generate house power requirements. …
Stanford chemical engineering professor Stacey Bent is researching solar cell
designs using nano-scale organic materials that boost the power conversion efficiency. …
… “Bent's students tried several different organic molecules in an attempt to learn which ones would most increase the efficiency … But she found that the exact molecule didn't matter – just having a single organic layer less than a nanometer thick was enough to triple the efficiency of the solar cells.” …
Via Stanford University: Solar Cell Efficiency Research (Release).
Sonoma Wine Company takes sustainability seriously and works to reduce the footprint of the winery operations. A cogeneration facility is a natural next step.
In this process the heat that passes through the solar cells (PV) is captured to heat water … so electricity and heat are produced from the sun.
Sonoma Wine Company and Cogena Solar have partnered to build the “ … first commercial scale solar cogeneration system to supply renewable heat and electricity …”.
When at full capacity the facility will “ … displace approximately 64,000 kilowatt-hours and 12,500 therms of natural gas annually….”
Why Solar Cogeneration? from Stephen Harper on Vimeo.
Via: Sonoma Wine Co LINK
Jordache Enterprises - owner of Jordache Jeans - uses solar panels at a factory in Jordan.
They are " ... among the first garment manufacturers worldwide to have installed and use solar panels to heat water ... "
A subsidiary owns the The Orchid hotel in Israel which was the first to install solar cells; these generate " ... electricity in excess of the resort’s consumption. ... hooked to the regional electric grid, selling excess capacity to the Electric Company..."
Via: Jordache LINK
Penn State research explores the production of hydrogen from fuel cells using light and solar photosynthesis. The research efforts are focusing on overcoming technical barriers to efficient hydrogen production, by varying materials light wavelengths, etc. …
… “While some researchers have used solar cells to make electricity or use concentrated solar heat to split water, Mallouk's process uses the energy in blue light directly.
So far, it is much less efficient than other solar energy conversion technologies.” …
Via Penn State Univ: Photosynthesis.
Solar systems are becoming more popular as the cost of panels drops and their efficiencies increase. But solar systems are still EXPENSI
VE.
While solar (PV and / or hot water) can help save money the upfront cost can be enough to make this a non-practical option for many customers.
SolarCity has a program called SolarLease that " ... can make it possible for homeowners and businesses to switch to clean, solar power for less money than they currently pay for electricity."
Via: SolarCity LINK
boosts efficiency and savings for Florida facility. Port St. Lucie Civic Center implemented solar power installation to shift almost fifteen percent of its electricity consumption to
renewable energy. …
The original grant was for solar panels only, but CO2 sensors were included in the contract and added to the grant based on additional energy savings … The carbon dioxide sensors allow the civic center's air system to pipe in fresh air only when needed … “ …
Via Treasure Coast and Palm Beach News: Port St Lucie Civic Center Solar Project.
Martifer Solar USA and North County Transit Distinct (NCTD) collaborating on 482 kW of solar arrays for the NCTD. A combination of roof and ground mounted panels will generate 482.52 kW of power.
The solar panels are ” … anticipated to save … an estimated $86,000 dollars per year and … offset … approximately 1,141,488 pounds of CO2 annually….” This is equivalent to the energy needs of “ … approximately 104 average California homes per year.”
Martifer has previously installed solar systems for “ … public transit operations including the Antelope Valley Transit Authority in Lancaster, CA and the Big Blue Bus maintenance facility in Santa Monica, CA.”
Via: Martifer Solar LINK
through the research of professor Tonio Buonassisi where nanowire production is tightly controlled. These concepts are being proven in the lab prior to scale-up and
commercialization. …
… “The spacing of the wires is controlled by textures created on the surface — tiny dimples can form centers for the copper droplets — but the size of the wires is controlled by the temperatures used for the diffusion stage of the process. Thus, unlike in other production methods, the size and spacing of the wires can be controlled independently of each other, Buonassisi says.” …
Via MIT: Micro Wires.
UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz researchers will deploy nanotechnology for solar cell construction, hoping to demonstrate sustained efficiency gains. …
… “But by constructing solar cells from extremely small nanoparticles, the UC researchers aim to generate several electrons for each photon, raising the maximum efficiency to between 42 and 65 percent.
The one-photon-in/multiple-electrons-out paradigm has been demonstrated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Zimanyi said — but the Los Alamos group did not build a functioning solar cell based on this paradigm.
The UC Davis/UC Santa Cruz team includes scientists with experience making solar cells from nanoparticles, giving hope that the group will be able to construct a fully functioning and well-optimized solar cell from germanium and silicon nanoparticles, he said.” …
Via University of California, Davis: Solar Cell Project Funding, Press Release.
Richard M. Swanson for his research into performance barriers in silicon solar photovoltaics, commercialization of solar cells, and leadership in the solar industry. …
… “Richard M. Swanson, an innovator in the field of photovoltaics and president emeritus of SunPower Corp., will receive the 2011 Karl Böer Solar Energy Medal of Merit during a ceremony to be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, in Gore Recital Hall of the Roselle Center for the Arts on the University of Delaware campus in Newark.” …
Via University of Delaware: Boer Award.
![management_team[1]](http://greentechnolog.com/Windows-Live-Writer/Solar-energy-medal-goes-to_B860/management_team%5B1%5D_2.jpg "management_team[1]")
will track sun to convert thermal energy into steam, powering turbines to create electricity. …
… “Siemens will now also supply two steam turbines each rated at 133 MW and two generators for Ivanpah Units 2 and 3. The SST-900 turbine is ideally suited for deployment in solar thermal power plants.
This turbine is known for its fast startup and shutdown capability, and the fact that it can very flexibly track the respective operating conditions of solar thermal power plants. Steam reheat enhances the efficiency of the turbine and thus of the entire power plant.
Solar tower technology enables the bundling of sunlight by sun-tracking mirrors, which is directly reflected onto a receiver at the top of a tower where steam is produced to drive a steam turbine that will ultimately generate electricity.” …
Via Siemens: Control System Project, Press Release.
Thermochemical reaction produces hydrogen from water and carbon dioxide. This process could be commercialized if paired with the carbon emissions from an existing![1482-smh_wcc_with_reactor_use-smaller_medium[1]](http://greentechnolog.com/Windows-Live-Writer/Solar-reactor-con_13516/1482-smh_wcc_with_reactor_use-smaller_medium%5B1%5D_2.jpg "1482-smh_wcc_with_reactor_use-smaller_medium[1]")
power plant. …
… “The researchers designed and built a two-foot-tall prototype reactor that has a quartz window and a cavity that absorbs concentrated sunlight.
The concentrator works like the magnifying glass you used as a kid to focus the sun's rays, says Haile.
At the heart of the reactor is a cylindrical lining of ceria.
Ceria—a metal oxide that is commonly embedded in the walls of self-cleaning ovens …” …
Via Cal Tech: Solar Reaction Press Release.
Solar education is about balancing the detailed technical skills with knowledge of the market and a foundation in the business. …
… “As the industry expands, there will be increasing need for focused skills - but for now the solar market is small enough that employees must be able to integrate knowledge about several aspects of the business.” …
Via Arizona State Univ: Solar Skill Assessment.
The Army and its operations are energy intensive. Getting energy to remote or war ravaged areas is both expensive and dangerous.
The Army is looking into tents that incorporate PV solar panels that can be used to charge batteries and small electronics like computers. In addition to not having to bring in fuel they can travel lighter by not needing a generator (or a smaller one).
Using " ... Flexible Photovoltaics (PV), ... convert light energy into electricity ... ideal for charging up batteries, making sure your (communications), night vision goggles and computers are powered ..."
The key is technology that makes PV "panels" flexible so they are lightweight and foldable / packable. While still in the testing phase they may be deployed soon.
Via: US Army LINK
Snyder's of Hanover (PA) announced construction of the largest solar energy system in PA in October 2010. Covering 26 acres across from their corporate HQ (in Hanover, PA) the "farm" will have more than 15,000 panels.
" ...reduce greenhouse gas emissions in excess of 230 m
illion pounds of carbon dioxide over a 25 year period. ...energy created ... equals more than 111 million miles not driven by a medium sized car ... 11 million trees would need to be planted to equal the same level of carbon dioxide reduction."
Hanover is not new to green efforts and already has initiatives that include compostable packaging.
View the Webcam image ... LINK
Via: Snyders of Hanover LINK
Petra Solar installations in New Jersey deploy antenna for communications with electronics for troubleshooting. …
Local professors are recognized for their research achievements and contributions to the conversion of the water treatment plant to renewable energy. …
… “Chino Valley will receive more than 50 solar panels from TUV-PTL, which it plans to install at the town’s water reclamation facility.” …
Via Arizona State: Solar Researchers Recognized.
Philadelphia wants to get 20 % of its electricity from renewable sources by 2015.
" ... Solar City Partnership will develop a strategy through which 2.3 MW of solar electricity will be generated within the city of Philadelphia by 2011 and 57.8 MW by 2021... "
The Solar City Partnership is a JV between the U.S. Department of Energy and the City of Philadelphia.
Two Systems under consideration are ...
- a 900,000 kWh solar system at the Naval Yard.
- installations at city owned water treatment facilities (Philadelphia Water Department).
Via: Phila.Gov LINK
Konarka has the solar energy performance of its Power Plastic certified in NREL’s lab. The lab tested the organic thin-film on a large area single-junction solar cell with a
surface area of 1 square centimeter. …
… “National Energy Renewable Laboratory has certified that Konarka’s organic based photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells have demonstrated a record breaking 8.3% efficiency. This is the highest performance recorded by NREL for an organic photovoltaic solar cell.” …
Via Konarka Technologies: Power Plastic Efficiency.
Lowering the cost of platinum catalyst helps make hydrogen fuel production more cost effective and, when paired with solar energy generation, also lower carbon impact![jingguangchenlg[1]](http://greentechnolog.com/WindowsLiveWriter/Lowcostplatinumcatalysthydrogenproductio_13532/jingguangchenlg%5B1%5D_2.jpg "jingguangchenlg[1]")
dramatically. …
… “Chen explains that when powered by renewable energy sources such as wind- or solar-based technologies, the generation of hydrogen from the electrolysis of water produces a high-energy-density mobile energy carrier without any associated carbon dioxide emissions.
At low temperatures, this water-splitting process can take place in a variety of electrochemical devices …” …
Via University of Delaware: Hydrogen Production.
Jingguang Chen Research Program.
will enable Stanford scholar to pursue his dreams. …
… “Varun S. Sivaram, 21, of Monte Sereno, Calif., is a senior majoring in engineering physics and international relations. He plans to pursue a doctorate of philosophy in solar energy materials at Oxford.” …
Via Stanford University: American Rhodes Scholars.
E-A-G-L-E-S … Eagles. S-O-L-A-R … Solar. W-I-N-D … Wind. Philadelphia Eagles launch an integrated renewable energy program at the Lincoln Financial Field stadium with the help of Solar Blue. …
… “Solar Blue, based in Florida, is going to invest close to $30 million over the next year to build, install, maintain and operate this new power system that will include approximately 80 spiral-shaped wind turbines, 2,500 solar panels and an onsite dual-fuel cogeneration plant.
The power system is targeted to be ready to go for September, 2011.
Solar Blue anticipates employing 200 local residents during the one-year design & installation period. Fifty of these jobs will be permanent operational positions.” …
Via Philly Eagles: Environmental Initiative.
UT Dallas professor Babak Fahimi develops smart grid interface device for renewable energy generation. A research prototype electronic interface switches power
intelligently from renewable sources to the grid or to electrical storage. The unit is being readied for field testing in California and Texas. …
… “This converter utilizes an adaptive controller to optimally increase efficiency and reliability for each operational condition while performing energy management algorithms to ensure the best performance.
Five years in development, the converter would be perfect for use by small to medium-size businesses, large residential buildings and shopping centers that decide to make an investment in renewable energy.” …
Via University of Texas: Electric Interface Device.
Babak Fahimi Renewable Energy Lab.
Sheldon Crossing in Manayunk (Philadelphia) Pa offers the latest in GREEN LIVING. In addition to being LEED certified they offer a Coulomb Technologies electric car charging station.
" ... will earn a Platinum LEED certification ... homes will use less energy, water, and natural resources ... " Features include " ... solar panels, vegetative green roofs, insulation, plumbing, HVAC, water purification and smart home automation ..."
The model home's Charging Station for electric vehicles is the first in the city of Philadelphia. Picture >>>>>
Via: Sheldon Crossing LINK and Philadelphia Inquirer LINK
for the Navaho Nation. …
… “Seeking to reverse years of environmental degradation and return to their traditional values, many Navajos are calling for a future built instead on solar farms, ecotourism and microbusinesses.” …
Via MIT: Navaho Coal Shift.
at Arizona dorm room as new construction is built for sustainability and LEED designation. …
… “Solar panels already installed on the roof will provide 60 percent of the hot water needs.” …
Via Arizona: Solar Dorm.
Yusen Terminals, Inc has installed solar panels at a facility in the Port of Los Angeles. The specifics:
96 panels
11,800 kWh/yr
emissions reductions = planting close to 6 acres of trees
Live stats of power generation are available at LINK
Via: NYK Line LINK
Future entrepreneurs eye solar power and smart grids as growth opportunities for new business models. …
… “He sees tremendous opportunity in solar energy — noting a steady decline in costs and technology advancements — and smart grid systems that monitor and manage electricity usage.” …
Via Univ of MIchigan, Ross School of Business: Entrepreneurship.
Global competition is forcing the solar power industry to become more efficient. 
Business models are being assessed and changes accelerated as the industry scales. …
… “Dr. Fang of JA Solar noted that Innovalight’s technology had allowed the company to improve the efficiency of its photovoltaic cells by 1 percent.” …
Via New York Times: Solar Innovation.
BrightSourceEnergy builds, owns and operates cost effective large scale solar systems.
Unlike PV panels that convert sunlight directly to electricity ... their LPT 550 uses thousands of mirrors to focus light rays on a boiler at the top of a tower ... producing steam that drives a turbine to generate electricity. The system is closed loop and is cost competitive with oil and gas.
Via: BrightSourceEnergy LINK
Walmart is planning to add solar systems to an additional 20 - 30 in California and Arizona using new technology lower cost PV cells.
" ... leveraging our global scale to ... help develop markets for new technologies ... commitment to solving business challenges through technology."
The systems are expected to provide about 25 % of the total energy needs of each location.
Some details about the systems:
- can product up to 22.5 kW / yr - equiv to the energy needed for 1750 home / yr
- avoid 11,650 metric tons CO2 - equiv to 3000 cars
The technology planned includes gallium selenide and cadmium terruride films and are exected to use less raw materials then earlier versions of PV cells.
SolarCity will do the design work as well as install, own and maintain the systems.
Johnson & Johnson has installed a huge solar array at the Ortho Clinical Diagnostic facility in Raritan, NJ. The solar panels are mounted close to the ground and the very large array is from northbound US-202 that borders the facility.
"The 1.69-megawatt array of over 7,300 ground-mounted panels ... about 2 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power per year ... decrease green house gas emissions... equivalent to taking about 270 passenger vehicles off the road per year...."
Via: Johnson & Johnson LINK
The White House is going SOLAR.
Seeking to lead by example ... solar panels for electricity and a solar water heater for the White House residence will go on the roof of the White House.
" ... part of a Department of Energy demonstration project showing that American solar technologies are available, reliable, and ready for installation in homes throughout the country ..."
" ... reflects President Obama’s strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy ..."
It was not reported if President Obama will get the federal tax credit for the solar system :-)
Via: WhiteHouse.Gov LINK
Home Power Magazine is full of ideas on renewable energy for home owners and professionals.
" ... information exchange has helped create an industry with ... a common goal: reducing the use of polluting fossil fuels and replacing ... with the infinite supplies of renewable energy that surround us. ..."
Issues have covered subjects including " ... solar, wind, and microhydro electricity, energy efficiency, solar hot water systems, space heating and cooling, energy-efficient building materials and home design, ..." and more.
Via: Home Power Magazine LINK
Duke Energy has leased part of the roof of a National Gypsum facility in Mt Holly NC to use for a solar array. The output is 1.17 mW - equivalent to the power needs of 700 homes.
" ... 5096 panels ... Duke Energy will own, operate, and maintain all components of the system. The lease agreement is for 25 years."
" ... National Gypsum has contracts to purchase byproduct gypsum ... from four of the utility’s nearby coal-fired plants."
Via: National Gypsum LINK
The NY Jets have added 3000 solar panels to their team HQ and training grounds in Florham Park, NJ. It is the largest such system in the NFL.
" ... over 3,000 Yingli Solar panels. ... All of the power generated by the system will be sold to The New York Jets under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)."
" ... Designed to generate over 750,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity ... will reduce CO2 emissions by 540 metric tons each year ..."
Via: PR Newswire LINK
TED event will be streamed from Penn campus. …
… “Jason Halpern, the founder and CEO of PowerFlower Solar, a seed stage solar technology company developing a portable, durable solar generator for farmers and the military … “ …
Via University of Pennsylvania: TEDxPenn.
generation by trapping light promoting absorption and boosting power conversion. …
… “It was only when Yu began investigating the behavior of light inside a material of deep subwavelength-scale – substantially smaller than the wavelength of the light – that it became evident to him that light could be confined for a longer time, increasing energy absorption beyond the conventional limit at the macroscale. ” …
Via Stanford University: Ultra-Thin Solar Cells.
Fan Group research agenda.
Beyond Low Energy homes are Zero Energy Homes (ZEH). Using technology including geothermal heating and cooling, PV panels, heat recovery ventilation and super insulation and high efficiency windows the homes in Green Acres (New Paltz NY) may be the first ZEH in the world.
" ... first zero energy (ZEH) community in the United States and possibly the world..."
" ... each home has the capacity to generate enough renewable energy to offset its annual energy needs. ..."
Via: Green Acres New Paltz (NY) LINK
Solar power for consumers has lots going for it ... renewable energy, clean power, being green ... and one near term stumbling block --- cost. Most systems are EXPENSIVE for the initial capiital outlay.
Clarian Power Inc may be able to help lower the price with both affordable and easy to install (DIY type install) products. Payback can be 3 - 4 years after factoring in rebates and credits.
"Sunfish™ is a plug-in solar power module that’s affordable and easy to install ... SmartBox™ technology allows homeowners to plug solar power into an existing outlet ..."
Via: Clarian Power Inc. LINK
USC research strives to understand how light behaves in materials, which has implications for solar cell efficiency. …
… “Povinelli's research involves creating models of how photons interact with complex materials, in order to understand how light behaves as it moves through devices such as solar cells or optical chips and to create more efficient devices … ” …
Via USC: Research Innovation.
University of Central Florida’s research program drive local economic impact with solar investment leading the innovation agenda. …
… “UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center led all UCF colleges and institutes with a record $21.2 million, including $10 million for a photovoltaic systems installation program that will generate electricity for at least 190 Florida schools and disaster shelters.” …
Via University of Central Florida: Local Economy Impact.
Florida Solar Energy Center.
Multiple solar powered houses integrated to a micro smart grid can share power efficiently and effectively. …
… “The idea is to pick a neighborhood and bring in a thousand solar panels and transformers to share energy.
One transformer would be shared by five houses. ” …
Via MIT Tech: Draper Solutions.
Applied Materials makes technical advancements in solar photovoltaics design and process manufacturing. …
… “all contacts are placed at the back of the cell.
Using EWT cell architecture with p-type wafers, single-crystal silicon and proven manufacturing processes, Applied has achieved 18.4% cell efficiency on large area cells in R&D testing.
In addition to providing higher conversion efficiency, back contacts lend themselves to new, automated module assembly techniques which eliminate the complex and error-prone task of stringing cells together.
Process results using this technique, called monolithic module assembly (MMA), have shown encapsulation losses of less than 1%, demonstrating the robustness of this high-efficiency, module fabrication technique. ” …
Via Applied Materials: PV Technology Advancements.
SunPower won several US Government contracts to install solar products for numerous agencies " ... Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the General Services Administration (GSA), the Navy and the Air Force. ... " These will create " ... more than 1000 local jobs during the construction ... represent a minimum of 20 megawatts (MW) of new solar projects ..."
One for the Air Force is to be the largest federal solar site in the US at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona.
SunPower is a leader in solar products and technology and was founded in 1988. They have worked with various federal agancies since 1999. They are listed on NASDAQ [SPWRA, SPWRB] and have their HQ in San Jose, California.
Via: SunPower LINK
Wisconsin lake house integrates cool, modern design with sustainable, LEED platinum capabilities. The house deploys geothermal and solar photovoltaic systems. …
… “one of two homes in Wisconsin to gain platinum LEED certification for its green features … ” …
Dust and dirt are significant contributors to the derating of solar panel power levels. Researchers focus on developing coatings that repel dust from the surface of panels. 
The coatings use electrostatic force to clear dust from the solar panel surface. …
… “A dust layer of 4 grams per square meter can decrease solar power conversion by 40 percent, says Malay Mazumder, a research professor in Boston University … ” …
Via Scientific American: Self Cleaning Solar Panels.
Relevant reference material:
Via: Solar Roadway™ LINK
The 15 megawatt PV plant will be located at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona. Comprised of 52,000 SunPower PV panels it will be the " ... largest solar installation on U.S. government property."
"Arizona Public Service Co. will own and operate ... hired SunPower Corp. to design and construct the solar plant ..."
" ... will ... follow the sun ... 25 percent more energy than if the panels were stationary. ..."
Via: Arizona Public Service LINK
Cogentrix Energy will supply power to Public Service Company of Colorado from its large scale concentrating photovoltaic solar power generation facility, which is planned for construction near Alamosa, in southern Colorado and expected to be serving customers in 2012. …
… “The 30,000 kilowatt solar generating project will be the largest facility of its type in the world and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2012.
The system will produce up to 30,000 kilowatts of solar energy for the customers of Xcel Energy, providing enough electricity for approximately 6,500 homes.
The facility will be located on approximately 225 acres of land in the San Luis Valley of Colorado immediately adjacent to the existing transmission system of Xcel Energy. ” …
Via Cogentrix: Solar Power Project, Colorado.
Bethel maintenance department experiments with solar power and looks toward additional applications of renewable energy. …
… “To make his conventional, rechargeable-electric-battery-powered golf cart into a solar vehicle, Reimer attached solar panels to the roof and hooked them up to the batteries through a 36-volt charge controller. ” …
Via Bethel College: Kansas Campus Maintenance Group.
Via MIT: Bandgap.... "There’s a third category, and that’s where the most interesting stuff happens.
These are materials that have a narrower gap between the two bands, and they are called semiconductors. " ...
Smith College students spend their summer SURFing (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships) their way to a fun education that gets them into some hot water. Smith has been sponsoring this summer research program for decades. …
… “This summer, several students are leading research projects that focus on Smith.
June Lukuyu ’13 is analyzing the efficiency of the solar hot water system on the roof of McConnell Hall.
Jennifer Sadler ’13 and Kaitlin Somers ’12 are charting the steps to developing a smarter power grid ” …
Via Smith College: Research.
Candidates for the new Dean of the Sciences college bring technical experience that includes focus on society’s challenges, including renewable energy from the sun. …
… “Fisher also works to improve solar cell efficiency, develop composite nanomaterials and explore environmental applications for plasma chemistry.
Her group has been a world leader in contributing new understanding of chemical mechanisms … ” …
Via Washington State University: College of Sciences Search for New Dean.
The mix of renewable power in the energy portfolio should be adjusted to ensure that the emissions growth does not impact the temperature of the earth. …
… “Has it been worth it for Spain's companies to promote renewable energy such as wind and solar power?
Most definitely, yes, Becerril said, adding however, that renewable energy sources are not the entire solution, only a part of it. ” …
Via Knowledge at Wharton: Supply and Sustainability.
" .. goal ... to be the premier research facility in the world focused on the economic, technical, and public policy issues associated with the development and deployment of solar energy to meet global energy needs and environmental challenges."
" ... through independent research, soliciting and funding internal and external research proposals on defined topics and responding to outside requests for proposals that fit the Solar Institute's objectives.
VIA: The GW Solar Institute LINK
SoloPower has commercialized its CIGS-based, thin-film, lightweight, flexible solar photovoltaic module, the SFX1-i module, which is part of its flexible module product line. …
… “launch of its debut CIGS-based, thin-film, lightweight, flexible SFX1-i Photovoltaic module.
Select SoloPower customers currently are sampling the new SFX1-i and SFX1-i3 modules off of SoloPower's existing production line in San Jose, CA and general availability for the new modules will be in the second half of 2010. ” …
Via SoloPower: Solar CIGS Modules.
Eaton Corp will design and build a solar photovoltaic power system for the New Mexico VA. The system will be sized at over three megawatts of generating capacity and will be integrated into the existing building. …
… “turnkey Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System at the Albuquerque, New Mexico Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System.
The scope of the $20 million contract includes designing and installing a 3.2 megawatt PV system throughout the site, including car port and roof-mounted arrays, as well as implementing a building-integrated system to help reduce demand from the local utility grid.
This will be the largest PV system in New Mexico.” …
Via Eaton Corporation: New Mexico VA Solar Power.
President Obama discusses significant solar investment during his weekly radio address. Abengoa and Abound will benefit from this renewable energy funding. …
… “Abengoa Solar, which will build one of the world's largest solar plants in Arizona, creating 1,600 construction jobs; and Abound Solar Manufacturing, which is building plants in Colorado and Indiana.” …
Via New York Times: $2Billion for Solar Plants.
I noticed the apples at my local Costco were packaged in plastic containers to keep the apples from bruising. What really intrigued me was the information on the plastic containers. Made by Peninsula Packaging of California ... they are:
- made from 70% recycled drink bottles
- made with 50% energy from the sun
" ... as much as 70 percent recycled ... are themselves recyclable ..."
" ... 10-acre photovoltaic "sun farm" generates 1.1 megawatts ... produces about one-percent of all of California's solar generated power."
Via: PenPack LINK
Areva is working to commercialize integrated conventional and thermal solar power at the production scale. …
… “Areva is developing a hybrid solar power plant concept that combines a solar thermal system with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. ” …
Via Forbes Energy Source: Areva says both.
Areva concentrated solar power technology.
Intermediate steps to the green future include options that harness natural gas in shale deposits, requiring undesirable harvesting techniques. Solar and wind power may offers the best pathway to the future for us, although we have to overcome the scalability challenge. …
… “solar and wind are the only practical alternatives that would provide America with abundant, independent energy with few undesirable environmental and human-health effects.” …
Via Yale: Natural Gas Role in Green Future.
Iowa State’s Team Prisum challenges the leaders in their solar car, Anthelion, with a strong day in the eleven hundred mile race. …
… “The teams have one more stage in the seven-day race from Broken Arrow, Okla., to Naperville, Ill. - a 110-mile sprint to the finish line.
Sanderson said Team PrISUm will start the day with full battery packs … ” …
Via Iowa State University: American Solar Challenge (Link).
SunPower pushes the limits of solar cell conversion efficiency above twenty four percent. The new solar cells are produced in its SPML Philippines facility, outside of Manila. …
… “it has produced a full-scale solar cell with a sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency of 24.2 percent at its manufacturing plant in the Philippines.
This is a new world record, confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), for large area silicon wafers.
Improved cell efficiency reduces the levelized cost of energy by increasing the energy production from each wafer manufactured into a SunPower solar cell.
For the same reason, increased efficiency reduces the cost per watt and cost per kilowatt-hour for feedstock and materials, depreciation and other manufacturing expenses, installation time, land and system operations, and related maintenance.” …
Via SunPower: New World Record (Link).
Lenoir-Rhyne University offers summer enrichment program for kids, K to 5, that enriches their minds with harnessing the energy of the sun for fun. …
… “They had built solar ovens using either pizza boxes or shoeboxes, aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
Inside the solar ovens were mini pizzas, nachos and s’mores. ” …
Via Lenoir-Rhyne University: Summer Program.
Ever wonder how solar cells work? Sun light hits a photovoltaic panel and somehow electrons start flowing.
Check out this neat graphic that shows how suns rays are converted to power that flows from your home's outlets.
" ... Follow the path ... from the sun, through the pv panels, its conversion to AC electricity ... into the utility grid. ..."
ailed explanation of solar energy.
For a full size of the image CLICK
Via: CoolerPlanet LINK
The map at the right - link to full size below - shows " LINK ... the current state of renewable energy in America ... a large portion of the country is still dragging their feet in adopting more environmentally friendly means of generating electricity. ..."
Pennsylvania ranks 15th
New Jersey ranks 43 rd.
Check out the stats for your state.
Click for full size map ... LINK
Via: CoolerPlanet
Students will spend their summer soaking up the sun’s rays using solar photovoltaics. …
… “Michael Newby '12 has been awarded a summer research internship at Princeton University …
He will conduct solar cell synthesis and characterization research in Dr. M. Alper Sahiner's Laboratory at Seton Hall University for the NJSGC Fellowship.” …
Via Seton Hall Univ: Internships and Fellowships (Link).
ASU develops engineers to focus on challenges that include solar renewable energy, other mega-trends, and global problems. …
… “These include such objectives as engineering better medicines and more advanced tools for scientific discovery, improving urban infrastructure, providing energy from fusion, defending against threats of nuclear terrorism, securing cyberspace, making solar-energy generation more economical and developing innovations in personalized learning.” …
Via Arizona State Univ: Engineering Education (Link).
Ferro expands its solar capabilities in the Asia Pacific region through technology lab support in China, Singapore, and Taiwan. …
… “Ferro's existing Technology Center in Suzhou is currently being expanded to meet the increased demand from solar cell manufacturers in China.
The new Advanced Technology Center in Taiwan is expected to be completed by the end of 2010 and will be equipped with state-of-the-art solar cell printing and firing equipment.
Both labs will be capable of building prototype solar cells and will be complemented by a complete range of solar cell characterization instruments.” …
Via Ferro: Photovoltaic Technology Center (Link).
DuPont opens photovoltaic applications lab at the Chestnut Run facility in Wilmington, Delaware in support of materials development for its growth push in the solar photovoltaic energy market. …
… “The lab will accelerate introduction of new photovoltaic materials and engineering innovations by linking DuPont science and engineering with full-size module fabrication and state-of-the-art testing capabilities.
It will provide an enhanced platform to enable innovation, technology exchanges and research collaborations among DuPont, customers, industrial partners, research institutes and universities.
The lab is designed to advance state-of-the-art solar module design, accelerate time to market in photovoltaic innovation and deliver cost-effective, high-performance solutions for the photovoltaic industry.” …
Via Dupont: Photovoltaic Lab (Link).
Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s initiative to drive development of renewable energy technologies and has selected the partnership of Total and Abengoa Solar to deliver Shams 1, the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant. …
… “Shams 1 will be the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, extending over an area of 2.5km²:
- capacity of approximately 100MW and a solar field
- consists of 768 parabolic trough collectors to be supplied by Abengoa Solar.
Construction is set to begin during Q3 2010 and is expected to take approximately two years.” …
Via Masdar: Largest solar concentrator plant (Link).
Michael Gratzel wins the Millennium Technology Prize for his work on developing dye-sensitized solar cells. …
… “Gratzel's innovation, the dye solar cell (DSC), is a third generation photovoltaic technology.
The technology often described as artificial photosynthesis is a promising alternative to standard silicon photovoltaics.
It is made of low-cost materials and does not need an elaborate apparatus to manufacture.” …
Via Technology Academy of Finland: Millennium Technology Prize (Link).
Boston College researchers work on the nano scale to address the challenges of thin film solar cells and energy conversion efficiency. The approach taken in this research on nanocoax cell architecture is to avoid the use of crystalline materials, which will result in lower-cost power with ultrathin solar films. The team has achieved power conversion efficiency of over 8 percent, which is very encouraging. …
… “Physicists at Boston College found a way to resolve the thick & thin challenge through a nanoscale solar architecture based on the coaxial cable, a radio technology concept that dates back to the first trans-Atlantic communications lines laid in the mid 1800s. ” …
Via Boston College: Nanoscale Architecture (Link).
Petra solar panels are showing up deployed on utility poles across towns in NJ.
For example, Petra teamed up with AC Electric for solar utility poles in southern New Jersey. …
… “Atlantic City Electric and Petra Solar announced they have teamed up to launch a demonstration project featuring solar photovoltaic (PV) systems mounted on utility poles in Cape May Point and Ocean City. Petra Solar's SunWave intelligent, pole-mounted photovoltaic solar systems are being installed by the end of April.” …
Petra’s solution is a turnkey system for utilities to mount and play to generate power into the grid. The system has been designed for easy installation by electric utility crews on street poles. The Petra system does more than generate power:
… “The systems can improve grid reliability through real-time communications between solar generators in the field and the utility control center. In addition, the Petra systems can enhance electric distribution grid reliability through a host of capabilities such as voltage and frequency monitoring and reactive power compensation.” …
New Jersey and Petra Solar are collaborating to grow green jobs: Petra Solar was selected through a competitive process as the first company to be awarded funding under the state's new Clean Energy Manufacturing Fund (CEMF). The program is designed to support companies looking to site or materially expand a Class I renewable energy or energy-efficient product manufacturing facility in New Jersey.
PSE&G awards contract for solar power utility pole installation: Petra Solar was recently was awarded a contract by PSE&G for 200,000 SunWave units, which will be mounted on utility and street light poles to increase PSE&G's solar generation. The contract is expected to result in over 100 new jobs at Petra Solar over the coming year.
PSE&G, New Jersey's largest utility, recently received approval from New Jersey regulators for its Solar 4 All Program. PSE&G and Petra Solar entered into a contract, valued at $200 million, which requires Petra Solar to deliver approximately 200,000 SunWave units for installation by PSE&G, which plans to install the poles in its service territory of the state's six largest cities and some 300 rural and suburban communities.
St. Mary’s University engineers rise to the challenge and create 1.4 kW solar panel system to demonstrate that the local event can be accomplished with a lower carbon footprint. The engineering students are being recognized by the City of San Antonio during their Green Building awards. ….jpg)
… “The St. Mary’s students built the solar panel system in response to the Mayor Julián Castro’s Fiesta Verde campaign, which was the Mayor’s idea to make Fiesta more green by promoting recycling efforts at most of the major Fiesta events.
Churchwell, Srinivasan and Crowell answered that call and one upped it by building a solar panel system equipped with a backup battery that lit 14 food booths for 40 hours—even with the cloudy skies and rain leading up to and during Fiesta Oyster Bake!
It took the awesome threesome just under a month to build the impressive eight solar panel system …” …
Via St. Mary’s University: Green Building Award (Link).
Engineering students are addressing the renewable energy challenge:
Two engineering students from MIT and a business school student from Harvard pursue biofuel from microbes process.
Team of PhD chemical engineering students has developed a carbon nano-based transparent electrode that will increase the efficiency of thin film photovoltaic solar panels.
Oregon Institute of Technology student, who is majoring in Renewable Energy Engineering, receives project funding support from Portland General Electric for monitoring the performance of a wind and solar power system.
National Semiconductor has created a chipset, branded under SolarMagic, focused on integrating intelligence into solar panel systems to drive higher energy output. The SolarMagic power optimizer is embedded directly into solar panel junction boxes. It will ship to customers already integrated on a board or as a standalone chipset. …
… “The SM3320 SolarMagic smart panel chipset is the most recent addition to National’s award-winning SolarMagic product line and provides junction box and module manufacturers with the smarts to ensure the highest efficiency and return on investment for solar system owners.
By coupling more energy production with a lower balance of systems cost, the SM3320 provides solar system owners a high-performance solution at the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour.” …
Via National Semiconductor: SolarMagic Chipset (Link).
SolarMagic Power Optimizer Spec Sheet (PDF).
ProLogis expects to understand emerging solar panel technologies and the installation requirements by testing manufacturers’ solar modules at its site in Denver, Colorado. This supports the company’s accelerated deployment of distributed rooftop solar power generation across its footprint. …
… “The Test Site totals 11 kWp DC of power generation capacity from 99 modules and eight different module manufacturers: Ascent Solar, First Solar, GS-Solar, MiaSole, Solyndra, Suniva, United Solar Ovonic and Xunlight.
Already generating power, the initial configuration provides side-by-side comparisons of several module technologies, including monocrystalline, glass-on-glass thin film and membrane-applied thin film modules.
In addition, the installation contains 16 individually monitored strings, each designed to test a certain system parameter.
As a part of the Test Site, and in partnership with HatiCon Solar, ProLogis has designed a new racking system especially for utility-scale rooftop solar installations. ” …
Via ProLogis: Test Site in Denver (Link).
The US Army is getting greener. They are beginning " ... development of a 500-megawatt solar power plant at Fort Irwin, Calif."
" ... allow ... commercial developers to use land at Fort Irwin to construct a solar power plant there between 2013 and 2022. ... will provide power to both the civilian power grid in California, and to Fort Irwin, home of the Army's National Training Center."
" ... the Army will provide to the developers, for as many as 50 years, up to 14,000 acres of land. .. Army receives rent for the land through cash or in-kind services."
" ... facility with both concentrated solar thermal and photovoltaic technology. ... will be built in phases, with a project end date expected around 2022. But Phase 1A of the project, with a completion of around 2014, is expected to provide enough power to sustain Fort Irwin."
Via: US Army LINK
Academics take sabbatical to demonstrate sustainable boat and observe ecosystems on trip through the loop. …
… “As far as we know, this is the only hybrid diesel-solar powered canal boat in the United States, said Carlsen. If successful, the trip may be the first circumnavigation of the North American Great Loop powered in an environmentally sustainable way.” …
Via Penn State: Solar-powered canal boat (Link).
Course is scheduled for this June 23rd and 24th at Onondaga Community College through SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. …
… “The advanced course is geared toward PV installers and engineers who have experience with PV systems. It offers participants an overview of commercial PV systems in a two-day workshop. The course is recommended for those who have taken an introductory installer course or have previous installer experience.” …
Via SUNY: PV Installer Course.
Victor Valley College and SolFocus celebrated the opening of the new solar power plant on the college campus. The solar installation deploys concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) and is sized to generate one megawatt of solar power for Victor Valley College in California. ...
... "The Victor Valley College solar micro-generating facility is now connected to the regional electrical grid operated by Southern California Edison and will produce approximately 2.6 million kilowatt-hours annually, which is roughly 30 percent of the College’s electricity demand. " ....
Via SolFocus: Victor Valley College Solar Power Plant (Link).
President Obama gets to see solar technology up close and personal at the Solyndra factory in California. Solyndra builds cylindrical solar panels that convert more of the sun rays into power. The company benefited from investments through the Recovery Act. …
… “… construction of the new facility has created over 3,000 construction-related jobs and the new factory could create up to 1,000 long-term new jobs. The Solyndra project is just one of the many ways the Administration is supporting clean energy manufacturing in America. Today Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman participated in a ground breaking ceremony for Nissan North America’s new advanced batter manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tennessee. ” …
Via The Whitehouse: Make Things.
Supply chain impact of the solar factory investment …
... "Ian Rousseau, a native of South Hero, Vt., who is completing undergraduate studies in physics, will study Novel Solar Energy Conversion via Terahertz Rectification in Germany. " ...Via MIT: Fulbright scholarships (Link).
... "Solaicx has developed proprietary continuous crystal growth manufacturing technology which yields low-cost, high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon wafers for the photovoltaic solar industry. The Solaicx technology allows for very high-volume crystal growth compared to the silicon ingots produced in the traditional precision semiconductor manufacturing process. The enhanced electrical performance of wafers from Solaicx ingots allows solar cell manufacturers to create higher efficiency cells with very competitive silicon costs. In addition to these customer benefits, the combined company will have low-cost polysilicon and crystal operations in North America and sales and support offices around the world, allowing the company to provide customers with industry leading customer service. " ...Via MEMC Electronics Materials: Agreement to Acquire Solaicx (Link).
Mayor Michael Nutter has been promoting Philadelphia's green activities and now the city is being recognized by others as well."... U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and Siemens Corporation has presented the 3rd Annual Siemens Sustainable Community Award ... to the City of Philadelphia. ... recognizes Philadelphia’s outstanding efforts to achieve complementary economic, environmental and social goals, ..."
" ... Mayor Michael A. Nutter. ... encouraged by the momentum behind our sustainability efforts, ... look forward to aggressively continuing our work to promote market transformation in energy efficiency retrofitting and growing the green economy.”"... training our workforce to install solar panels and cool roofs, and we’re putting Philadelphians to work weatherizing homes and installing green stormwater management infrastructure."
Via: City of Philadelphia LINK
Natcore Technology and Vanguard Solar combine to advance the efficiency of solar energy conversion. Natcore Technology is the exclusive licensee, from Rice University, of a thin-film growth technology enabling room-temperature growth of various silicon oxides on silicon wafers in a liquid phase deposition (LPD) process. Natcore’s acquisition of Vanguard Solar will close after appropriate due diligence. …
… “The first-generation products from Vanguard’s method could produce 15%-16% efficiencies at module costs of 60¢ to 70¢ per watt. It is anticipated that second-generation technology could achieve 20% efficiencies at even lower costs per watt.
The investment for production facilities is projected as low as $10 million to $15 million per 100-megawatt to 150-megawatt production capability, as compared with current costs of as much as $250 million for standard solar-cell production facilities.
Vanguard’s production equipment would be designed for insertion into an existing roll-to-roll film-coating line of the sort that has been displaced by the emergence of digital photography. All production materials are widely available and dramatically cheaper than silicon and other thin film systems.
If successfully developed, the process would enable a very cost-efficient production capability in large-scale facilities.” …
Via Natcore: Solar Science Portfolio Expands.
Solar panel performance is boosted with anti-reflective coating. …
… “This same is true of conventional solar panels, which is why some industrial solar arrays are mechanized to slowly move throughout the day so their panels are perfectly aligned with the sun’s position in the sky. Without this automated movement, the panels would not be optimally positioned and would therefore absorb less sunlight. The tradeoff for this increased efficiency, however, is the energy needed to power the automation system, the cost of upkeeping this system, and the possibility of errors or misalignment. Lin’s discovery could antiquate these automated solar arrays, as his antireflective coating absorbs sunlight evenly and equally from all angles.” …
Via RPI: Absorption of Sunlight.
Amonix invests in solar manufacturing capacity in Nevada. …
… “Amonix announced that plans to use $5.9 million of a $9.5 million investment tax credit from the Recovery Act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit awarded in 2010 to establish a new manufacturing facility in Southern Nevada are well underway, and that the facility will be open by the end of 2010.
When fully operational, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 150 MW of CPV solar systems and employ 278 people in management, technical and production jobs. ” …
Via Amonix: CPV Nevada Plant.
Amonix designs and manufactures concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems that require less water, use land better, and produce more energy per acre than any other solar technology. Amonix is headquartered in Seal Beach, California. with expanded manufacturing facilities planned for Nevada and Arizona.
Springside School - Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia has the largest solar installation in the city of Philadelphia. You can see the solar progress with the monitoring station ... the system has the capacity of 92.4 k
W DC.
As of May 15th, 2010 the system has generated 21,201 kWH - equivalent to powering 2 homes for a year.
See the current operation / historical data at LINK
Via: Springside School LINK
California solar farm begins operations with generating capacity of five mega-watts. …
… “CalRENEW-1 consists of more than 50,000 solar panels covering almost 50 acres. Development and construction of the solar farm created scores of green collar jobs and solar installer training opportunities in the Central Valley. Successful completion of the project on schedule and budget demonstrates Cleantech America's competence to marshal and manage the many resources necessary to complete large-scale renewable projects and bring them into commercial operation. ” …
Via CleanTech: Utility-Scale Solar Farm.
CalRENEW-1 became the first utility-scale solar photovoltaic farm to be approved under California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard program in 2008.
Monocrystalline solar photovoltaic module uses manufacturing and materials technology called Quad Max to deliver performance to the rooftop energy market segment. …
… “Trina Solar developed Quad Max technology using innovative manufacturing processes and proprietary, state-of-the-art metallization and passivation techniques, which have allowed Quad Max cells to yield conversion efficiencies of up to 18.8% in test laboratory production. The product's square shape allows the monocrystalline cell to harvest more sunlight by avoiding surface area loss typical with conventional octagon-shaped cells.” …
Via Trina Solar: Module TSM-DC80 with Quad Max Cell Technology.
Stanford Univ C3Nano team wins the MIT Clean Energy Prize for their carbon nanotechnology based solution for thin film electrodes which permits sunlight to flow through. …
… “The team of PhD chemical engineering students has developed a carbon nano-based transparent electrode that will increase the efficiency of thin film photovoltaic solar panels by allowing up to 12 percent more sunlight to penetrate the panels.
The electrode – a conductor through which electric current is passed – is also less expensive, more lightweight and flexible than electrodes made out of conventional materials. ” …
Via NStar: Electrode Design to Improve Solar Panel Performance.
In the clean energy competition, C3Nano has developed a new transparent electrode material that they believe will make photovoltaic solar panels both cheaper and more efficient.
The MIT Clean Energy competition: MIT CEP is organized and run by students enrolled in MIT’s science and engineering schools and the MIT Sloan School of Management.
C3Nano team developed proprietary transparent electrode that outperforms leading transparent electrodes and delivers efficiency of photovoltaics by 1%.
Photovoltaic and Concentrating Solar Power are seen as the key solar technologies to increase adoption over the long term. …
… “The combination of solar photovoltaics and concentrating solar power offers considerable prospects for enhancing energy security while reducing energy-related CO2 emissions by almost six billion tonnes per year by 2050. The roadmaps detail the technology milestones that would make this possible …” …
Via IEA: Technology Roadmap.
Concentrated solar will require infrastructure investments to transport the electricity generated in remote, sunny regions. …
… “IEA expects CSP to become competitive for peak and mid-peak loads by 2020 in the sunniest places if appropriate policies are adopted. Its further expansion will depend on the development of dedicated transport lines that will bring CSP electricity to a greater number of large consumption centres. Some of them will have to be developed within large countries such as China, India and the USA. Others will cross border, and many will be needed to link the southern and northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. ” …
IEA sees solar at quarter of world electricity by 2050.
Solar photovoltaic technology roadmap (PDF). New technology is needed to support grid integration. …
… “The PV industry, grid operators and utilities will need to develop new technologies and strategies to integrate large amounts of PV into flexible, efficient and smart grids.” …
Concentrating solar power technology roadmap (PDF). CSP will require energy storage to meet 24 hour coverage of power needs. …
… “integrated thermal storage is an important feature of CSP plants, and virtually all of them have fuel-power backup capacity. Thus, CSP offers firm, flexible electrical production capacity to utilities and grid operators while also enabling effective management of a greater share of variable energy from other renewable sources … ” …
... "Green plants and certain bacteria are able to transfer the energy harvested from sunlight through a network of light harvesting pigment-protein complexes and into reaction centers with nearly 100-percent efficiency. " ...Via Science Daily: Quantum Entanglement Behind Photosynthesis
Continue reading "Understanding High Efficiency Solar Photosynthesis" »
Mechanical engineers focus on understanding solar cell production methods. …
… “overview of the Thin Film Solar Cell technology and in particular the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) used in all types of cell production … ” …
Via Colorado State University: Presentation
Navy break ground on solar energy project at Guam base. …
… “The solar photovoltaic project represents one of three components in the Navy’s $34.1 million initiative to reduce energy consumption on Guam through its Energy Savings Performance Contract … ” …
Via Guam PDN: $5.9 million solar energy project
Skyline Solar receives patent through the accelerated program by the USPTO for its Dual Trough Concentrating Solar Photovoltaic Module. …
… “US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued patent number 7,709,730, which covers fundamental aspects of Skyline Solar’s HGS architecture.
The patent issuance makes Skyline Solar one of the first companies to receive patent approval under the USPTO’s Green Technology Pilot Program.
The expedited examination provided by the USPTO program highlights the commitment by the US government to maintain leadership in green technology innovation in the face of increasing competition from other countries.
Traditionally, green technology companies could expect to wait several years before being issued a patent. ” …
Via Skyline Solar: Accelerated Patent Approval under Green Technology Pilot Program
Skyline Solar manufactures High Gain Solar (HGS) arrays incorporating industry-proven silicon cells, durable reflector materials and single-axis tracking into a complete, easy-to-deploy system. Skyline HGS delivers ten times more energy per gram of silicon than traditional flat panel systems.
... "The project involves the installation of 24 flat plate solar collectors, which aid in the transmission of energy to solar storage tanks. " ...Via Bowdoin: Solar water project
FiberCell technology uses a honeycomb shape that allows for greater light absorption ... by catching light from multiple angles having more periods of "peak" efficiency. The cells are fiber based and use dye from the pokeberry to increase efficiency. FiberCell is based in Winston-Salem NC.
"FiberCell ... strong IP position comes from a portfolio of patents covering its unique light gathering design, absorber compositions, and manufacturing approach.... "
" ... FiberCell absorbers are fully integrated into the light collection system, making it a solar cell and solar concentrator in one. ... "
Enhanced operational lifetimes" ... depends only in part on organic absorbers. This allows for better overall sealant performance. ... During a day, FiberCell can generate up to twice the power of a traditional flat panel device of the same effeciency rating ... Internal resistances are very low for the cells. ... Rugged performance with continued module funtion even when individual cells are lost due to damage ..."
Via: Fibercell LINK and SmartPlanet
Coherent partners to deliver technologies that create efficiencies in the solar cell manufacturing process. …
… “Coherent has also entered into a joint development agreement with SiOnyx, Inc., for solar cell manufacturing using black silicon processing, which is based upon the interaction of ultrafast laser light and silicon in a controlled environment.
Black silicon based materials and processes offer a number of potential advantages over currently deployed technologies, including cost reductions, an increase in conversion efficiencies, as well as an increase in manufacturing yields. ” …
Via Coherent: Joint development agreement with SiOnyx.
Check out this float-o-voltaic system at Far Niente Winery in Oakville, California. Since land is so expensive / valuable they using an irrigation pond to "host" their solar system. Via: Far Niente Winery LINK
Dupont sees photovoltaic sales improve ahead of expectations and bumps up its near term revenue objective. …
Via Dupont: Photovoltaic Sales Growth... "DuPont now expects its sales into photovoltaics to exceed $1 billion in 2011, which is a year ahead of plan, and has set a new goal to exceed $2 billion in sales by 2014.
In 2009, DuPont sales to the photovoltaic market exceeded $550 million - an increase of over 25 percent from the previous year - and outperformed the broader industry, which experienced significantly lower growth, estimated to be 10 percent or less. DuPont’s growth is supported by new innovations that improve module efficiency and lifetime, and enable new photovoltaic technologies and applications, which ultimately accelerate the industry’s drive to bring costs down in line with other forms of energy.
DuPont materials and technology solutions are designed to help increase the efficiency and lifetime of crystalline silicon and thin film photovoltaic solar modules, while reducing total systems cost and enabling the photovoltaic industry to reach grid parity faster. " ...
... "When complete, the UB solar installation's 5,000 photovoltaic (PV) panels will generate solar energy for 735 student apartments at UB, reducing the university's carbon emissions by more than 500 metric tons per year. The project will serve as a cornerstone of NYPA's $21 million statewide renewable energy program. " ...Via The University at Buffalo: Solar Array on UB Campus
... "The program, once complete, will generate up to 500 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, enough to meet the needs of about 150,000 homes in PG&E's Northern and Central California service area. " ...Via PG&E: Major Solar Energy Initiative
Continue reading "Major Solar Home Initiative in Northern California" »
... "In just the last year, the average price of solar panels dropped by 40 percent, and more price reductions are expected in the year ahead. " ...Via New York Times: California Solar Scorecard
... "A doubling in size of the residential PV market and three new CSP plants helped lift the U.S. solar electric market 37 percent in annual installations over 2008 from 351 MW in 2008 to 481 MW in 2009. Solar water heating (SWH) installations managed 10 percent year-over-year growth, while the solar pool heating (SPH) market suffered along with the broader construction industry, dropping 10 percent. " ...Via Solar Energy Industries Association: US Solar Industry, Year in Review (PDF)
... "Probably only the fact that they are the inspirations for designs submitted by three internationally renowned artists, finalists in a UB-sponsored public art competition for a solar installation to be constructed on the university’s North Campus in partnership with the New York Power Authority (NYPA). " ...Via SUNY at Buffalo: Vision for solar installation
... "It says it expects to install a 4.1-megawatt solar power system at its 200-acre campus in South Brunswick, N.J., next year. Dow Jones says the system will be one of the largest solar installations at a single commercial site in the U.S. The panels will cover nearly 230,000 square feet of parking space ... " ...Via USA TODAY: Dow Jones N.J. campus solar installation
... "These new solar cells are made from millions of miniscule plastic fibers that can collect sunlight at oblique angles – even when the sun is rising and setting. Flat-cell technology captures light primarily when the sun is directly above. " ...Via Wake Forest: Efficient, inexpensive fiber-based solar cells
... "Li and his collaborators tried a different idea. By attaching a semi-rigid, semi-flexible, three-dimensional sidegroup to the sides of the graphene, they were able to keep graphene sheets as big as 168 carbon atoms from adhering to one another. With this method, they could make the graphene sheets from smaller molecules (bottom-up) so that they are uniform in size. To the scientists' knowledge, it is the biggest stable graphene sheet ever made with the bottom-up approach. " ...Via Indiana University: Carbon-based solar cell
... "solar-powered boat made a gentle plop as it was lowered by a huge crane on to the waters of the Kiel firth in northern Germany today ... " ...Via Guardian: Solar-powered boat Türanor
... "By allowing plastic solar cells to be manufactured using low-cost printing techniques and by replacing ITO as the primaryVia Princeton University: Plastic electronics integrated into solar panelsconducting material, the plastics the team developed hold potential for lowering the cost of solar panels. Currently, the electricity generated by plastic solar cells is collected by a transparent metal conductor made of ITO. The conductor must be transparent so that sunlight can pass through it to the materials in solar cells that absorb the light energy. " ...
... "The new photovoltaic system will consist of more than 3,300 panels that will be installed on single-axis ground mount trackers at the plant. The city entered into a 20 year contract and will buy power from PPM, as if PPM were a utility company. The city won’t pay for the installation of the panels. " ...Via Pacific Power Management: Auburn California Wastewater Treatment Plant Solar Power
Continue reading "California Waste Treatment Plant Implements Solar Power" »
... "The ground-mount facility built on land in Bakersfield, CA formerly occupied by a refinery, has a nameplate capacity of 190kW and is projected to produce more than 300 MWh per year. The array of Abound Solar’s AB1 modules comprises one of the largest components of Chevron’s Project Brightfield, a test facility to compare the performance of multiple emerging solar technology products. " ...Via Abound Solar: 190kW Photovoltaic Installation
across a number of geographically distributed labs and partners. The technology will emphasize cadmium telluride materials to achieve the optimal cost versus performance. ...
... "the vision for thin film solar panels is that they will be lightweight, inexpensive and can one day be wrapped around objects, conform to a roof, or even hung like sails. GE is stepping up the pace of its thin film work in conjunction with PrimeStar Solar Inc., which is an Arvada, Colorado-based startup firm in which GE is a majority investor.Via GE: Cracking the thin film solar code
The GE/PrimeStar product is being developed at PrimeStar’s headquarters in Arvada, Colo. A team of PrimeStar technologists with more than 100 years of combined thin film deposition expertise is working closely with GE researchers, who are focused on several key areas in order to achieve best-in-class technology.
GE’s research team in Niskayuna, N.Y., is working on all facets of CdTe module development, including material growth, device development and robust process development. Their technical expertise cuts across diverse fields such as surface chemistry, laser processing and plasma physics. " ...
Continue reading "Thin film solar cells research focus by GE" »
... "The project, designed for the roof of Thorne, includes 24 glazed flat plate solar collectors, which will make up a 960-square-foot solar thermal array, and the piping to solar storage tanks. " ...Via Bowdoin: Solar Hot Water Project for Thorne Hall
India has lots of gas and diesel powered rickshaws ... these emit significant quantities of pollution ... there is work to outfit rickshaws with batteries and an electric motor. These cost close to 3 x the cost of a traditional rickshaw but the government may offer loans to help offset the cost differential.
" ... Soleckshaw ... can either be pedaled or run off of a 36-volt battery that is charged every 45 miles from a solar charging station ... prototype ... seats three and has electric lights, an FM radio, four mobile phone chargers, and can travel at 12 and a half miles per hour. ..."
Via: cleanechnica LINK
Movie theaters are embracing the the green movement including LEED.
" ... theaters are making an effort to help viewers go green ... including Georgia-based Carmike Cinemas ... built a LEED-certified theater in Chattanooga, Tenn., which opened in November ... "
" ... Environmentally conscious theater construction and design are growing trends ... Some theaters are installing solar panels ... and using recycled building materials for new theaters and existing facilities that are under renovation."
Via: FORBES LINK
Chicago's ConEd is conducting an experiment to determine how consumers manage their energy use when they have metrics on use, cost and use patterns. Home will be outfitted with solar panels and some homes will be allowed to sell back to the grid and others will not.
" ... will install smart electric meters and price the homes’ electric use by the hour. Half of the homes will be able to gain credits by sending stored solar power back to the grid. The other half won’t be able to store their energy."
" ... whether consumers have the ability, with this technology, to become little utilities. They will be able to buy and sell electricity at a real-time hourly price, which is very close to the wholesale price, from their homes."
Via: SmartPlanet LINK
where leading talent will tackle challenges such as solar energy economics. ... "On April 8 and 9 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, experts will explore critical needs to develop new medicines and biomedical technologies, make solar energy economical, find better ways to manage and recycle the increasing amount of waste materials produced by growing nations, and transform education to prepare the next generations for facing these and other challenges. "
"PlanetSolar ... topped by a large array of photovoltaic solar panels ... will be both silent and clean. The goal is to navigate around the world at an average speed of 8 knots ..."
" .. will be home to two sailors during the round-the-world attempt, and can accommodate up to fifty people during the promotional trips planned ..."
Via: PlanetSolar LINK
... "First Solar’s management team has confidence in the 2010 financial guidance we gave on Feb 18 as well as the company’s prospects for long-term growth…We continue to execute on our technology and strategic roadmaps ... " ...First Solar CEO Buys and Sells via Seeking Alpha: http://bit.ly/a5gBzN
David de Rothschild has built a boat from recycled plastic bottles and plans to sail it from San Francisco in the US to Sydney, Australia.
Yes he is from the famous Rothschild family.
The boat and crew will travel in a green manner (composting toilets and vertical green garden fertilized by composted poop) Power for on board electronics comes from solar cells and wind turbines. The boat uses glue made from cashew nuts.
Follow the journey and check out the web site for lots of geen info.
Via: Plastiki LINK
" ... solar-powered sensor system developed at the University of Michigan is the smallest that can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually."
" ...could enable new biomedical implants as well as home-, building- and bridge-monitoring devices. It could vastly improve the efficiency and cost of current environmental sensor networks designed to detect movement or track air and water quality."
" ... can run nearly perpetually if periodically exposed to reasonable lighting conditions, even indoors ... "
" ... could enable less-invasive ways to monitor pressure changes in the eyes, brain, and in tumors in patients with glaucoma, head trauma, or cancer. In the body, the sensor could conceivably harvest energy from movement or heat, rather than light, the engineers say."
Via: University of Michigan LINK
... Each participating school will receive a 10-kilowatt solar energy system with a battery back-up -- complete with installation. The system will provide enough power for critical energy needs such as lighting, communications and essential medical equipment." ...Via University of Central Florida: Solar-Powered Schools
The UTS Tower in Sydney, Australia is may get a proposed upgrade - a solar skin. This PV "wrap" would turn the tower into a very green and energy efficient structure.
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Tower "upgrade" is " ... Fueled by the university’s sustainability drive ... turn the building into a “landmark environmental tower” by wrapping it in a photovoltaic skin."
"The sustainable energy system, devised by postgraduate students in 2008, has been funded to allow students to build and test the project."
There are a number of propose upgrades including wind turbines and cogeneration ... the solar skin " ... stretches around walls and roof elements ... the building is covered in a lightweight composite mesh textile that can collect rain water, generate electricity and complement the plan’s passive ventilation system that uses natural convection."
Via: SmartPlanet LINK
Scientists from CalTech have developed technology that might lead efficient solar cells from silicon nanowires. This could lead to all sorts of configurations for solar cells including fabrics.
" ... CalTech scientists say they have the underlying technology. Silicon nanowires, arranged in arrays, have been engineered that ... grab power from visible light ..."
" ... a cell geometry that not only uses 1/100th the material of traditional wafer-based devices, but also may offer increased photovoltaic efficiency owing to an effective optical concentration of up to 20 times ...”
" ... CalTech’s cells have efficiency comparable to solar panels now being installed on roofs.""If nanowires can be woven into a viable matrix, combined with other material, it means fabrics can double as solar connectors, once they have a way to off-load the power they create."
Via: SmartPlanet LINK
A MIT spin-off has created a solar powered refrigerator that can bring cooling to those far from the electric grid - especially those in developing countries like India and China.
"Promethean Power Systems has developed a solar-powered refrigeration system for commercial cold-storage applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries. ... store and preserve perishable food items ... without the need for expensive diesel-powered generators"
" ... a for-profit enterprise. We believe that creating a cost-effective solution for cold-chain food distribution in emerging markets is an excellent business opportunity that could deliver enormous social and environmental benefits."
" ... study revealed a large business opportunity in India for an efficient cold-storage solution targeted to the dairy industry ... Cold-storage at the village level minimizes the number of collection trips and reduces transportation cost in half. Today, the only alternative is to use commercial refrigerators with diesel-powered backup generators, a no-win situation that further exposes the dairies to escalating energy prices. "
Via: Coolectrica LINK
... "Solar Distinction plans to initially operate a 25-megawatt solar panel manufacturing plant, then expand to 50-megawatts within two years. " ...Via Yahoo Finance: NM Photovoltaic manufacturing
The GSA is renovating the 18 story federal building in Portland, Oregon. Green features include a vertical green wall and reduced water usage with low flow fixtures and recycled roof water.
"... part of a $133 million renovation, the General Services Administration wants to grow “vegetated fins” on the western facade of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building ... save energy year-round using one of Mother Nature’s own tools."
" ... will use 60 to 65 percent less energy than comparable buildings. That translates to an energy cost savings of $280,000 per year."
"Solar panels could also provide up to 15 percent of the building’s power needs. Energy use for lighting will be halved."
"... building in question was already slated for an energy efficiency upgrade, but funds from last year’s federal stimulus package stressed projects that were environmentally friendly."
Via: SmartPlanet LINK
... "Stefan’s funding will advance research into new semiconducting polymers – plastic electronics – with adjustable, or tunable, energy levels. The use of semiconducting polymers in solar cells is a promising avenue of research aimed at achieving less expensive, more efficient solar cells. Stefan expects to improve the efficiency of organic solar cells by developing and testing new semiconducting polymers with tunable opto-electronic properties. " ...Via Univ of Texas at Dallas: NSF Award
Dow has products for many part of the green economy ... from solar cells to batteries for electric cars to materials for solar cells.
"Dow ... has embarked upon a multi-pronged strategy to capitalize on the demand for renewable energy and low-carbon alternatives to conventional products. ... "
" ... Dow's secret [is] ... Material science, i.e. membranes, coatings and other difficult-to-manufacture items that require a lot of chemical know-how. ... will have a huge impact on ... core green markets ..."
" ... Dow Corning ... brought a silicone sealant originally devised for outer space solar panels to the conventional solar panel market ... Dow signed a multimillion dollar, multi-year research alliance with Caltech to develop next generation solar technologies. ..."
" ... will sell copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar roofing tiles. Initial customers for the tiles, developed in conjunction with Global Solar, include mass market home builders Lennar and Pulte Homes."
" ... is sponsoring Electric Avenue, the electric car hall at the North American International Auto Show .... Dow Kokam, a joint venture, will also discuss batteries for electric cars at the show."
" ... wants a larger part of the water purification and desalination market, buying Rohm & Haas to help it expand ..."
Via: Greentechmedia LINK
" ... 2.5 gigawatts of renewable capacity ... triple renewable capacity in Ontario."
" ... Samsung hopes to translate its expertise in electronics, deep financial pocket, and manufacturing heft into a leading role in building management systems, energy efficient electronics and solar power ... "
"Samsung has already stated a public goal of becoming number one in solar in 2015 ... laid out an ambitious carbon reduction plan ... wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both its operations and from the use of its products by 50 percent by 2013 on a normalized sales basis...."
In 2008, Samsung and its products emitted 9.4 million tons of greenhouse gases with about 60 percent of the emissions coming indirectly through products. ..."
Via: Greentechmedia LINK
... "One of the scientists involved in the research of silicon-based semiconductors accidentally left a sample of silicon doped with impurities in the sunlight. What a surprise it was when he noticed an electric signal coming out of the detector that the sample was connected to. " ...Via UCSF Synapse: Science
... "Intel's new solar installations are planned to be completed over the next 7 months. Each project would currently rank as one of the 10 largest solar installations in its respective region if activated today. For example, the panels planned for Intel's Chandler and Ocotillo campuses in Arizona would each currently be the fifth largest in SRP service territory or the second largest when combined, according to the utility company. All of the solar panels will be installed on the roofs of Intel's facilities, with the major exception of the largest installation, an approximately 1-megawatt solar field in Folsom, Calif. The Folsom installation will span nearly six acres of land on campus, which would make it one of the largest non-utility ground-mounts in California at the time of this release. All of the installations will use the power generated at their respective site, making them an efficient source of electricity with savings on grid delivery losses. " ...Via Intel: New Solar Installations
... "Among states, California is expected to maintain first place, and New Jersey is likely to come in second, with Florida making a strong showing for the first time. " ...Via New York Times: Solar Power
... "The facility will produce premium quality mono-crystal silicon ingots for photovoltaic solar power generation. The company’s HiCz brand products increase the efficiency of solar cells by 15% or more, helping manufacturers of solar panels generate electricity more efficiently at a cost equivalent to or better than can be done using multi-crystal silicon ingot. " ...Via Phil Bredesen, Tennessee Governor: $200 Million Solar Manufacturing Facility
... "Semprius will focus efforts toward a massively parallel, microcell-based CPV receiver. This approach combines the benefits of unique-to-solar manufacturing techniques with the performance and operational benefits of microcell concentrating photovoltaics. " ...Via National Renewable Energy Laboratory: $12 Million Funding for Early Stage Solar Technologies
Continue reading "Early Stage Solar Technology Investment" »
... "The nanoparticle inks that we are making could ultimately be printed onto nearly any substrate, using low-cost roll-to-roll processes — manufacturing a solar cell would be like printing a newspaper. " ...Via Univ of Texas at Austin : Solar ink
... "The film line expansion will be located at the DuPont Circleville, Ohio, facility using existing and retrofitted assets. This expansion provides Tedlar oriented film capacity to support global demand of over 10 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic module production. The investment will deliver DuPont technology to help meet increasing needs for energy and environmental sustainability. This reflects the company’s recently announced commitment to focus on meeting four emerging global trends, one of which is decreasing dependence on fossil fuels. Film production is scheduled to start up in September 2011. " ...Via DuPont: PVF Film Expansion for Durable Photovoltaic Modules
... "The WalMart at 4210 East Highland Ave. is one of three locations recently retrofitted with solar panels. ... The system generates about 900,000 kilowatts per year, or about 30 percent of the stores total energy usage ... " ...Via San Bernardino County Sun: Wal-Mart solar panels
In addition to being know for its green efforts (solar panels and highly efficient servers) Google is possibly entering ther power business by applying for a license to buy and sell wholesale power.
"... are other non-utilities already in the power business. Usually other firms with similar heavy power needs. ... Google Energy subsidiary was formed in late 2009 ... putting it into a stronger position to balance Google’s energy needs with its goal to promote the use of alternative energy for electricity generation ... it will shop for the best sources of renewable energy to run its operations ... stated goal is to become carbon-neutral."
Via: ZDNet LINK
... "Extreme hydrolysis is a particular problem, and the adhesives especially need to exhibit enormous resilience. UV resistance is also paramount as the backsheet must not be allowed to yellow. " ...Via Design News: Photovoltaic Effectiveness
... "In this project, Ferro will engineer a vitreous frit system to provide reliable air-tight and water-tight seals for second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. Ferro will collaborate with the Edison Welding Institute, StrateNexus Technologies, and The Ohio State University, all of Columbus, Ohio, in developing, testing and commercializing this new technology. If successful, the new sealing materials will enable Ferro to solve a significant problem with second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. As with all solar cells, thin-film cells require a hermetic seal to operate reliably for their expected lifetimes of 20-plus years. This can be a problem because most current thin-film solar cell modules are designed to be sealed with organic sealants that typically lose their hermeticity in time, especially if exposed to sunlight containing UV radiation. " ...Via Ferro Electronic Materials: Low-Temperature Sealing Methods for Thin-Film Solar Cells
Continue reading "Ferro Solar Cell Sealing Research Project" »
... "Solar patents in the last quarter tracked approached the level of wind patents, which have been in second place to fuel cell patents ... " ...Via Renewable Energy World: CLEAN ENERGY PATENT GROWTH INDEX
... "largest single rooftop solar power installation in Maryland at Staples' 200,200 square foot fulfillment center in Hanover. The 1.01 megawatt solar installation covers nearly 175,000 square feet of roof space, larger than three football fields. The environmental savings associated with the system will offset more than 43 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) over 20 years, equivalent to removing CO2 produced by more than 4,200 automobiles driving 12,000 miles per year. The zero-emission, silent photovoltaic system will generate approximately 1.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, and 21 million kWh during the initial 20 years of the project. " ...Via Staples: Maryland's Largest Single Rooftop Solar Power Installation
... "The Boston company's approach would decrease the total installed cost of a solar power system by half. It would also decrease the amount of expensive silicon material needed to make solar cells by a factor of more than three ... " ...Via New York Times: Achilles Heel of Photovoltaics
Continue reading "Solar Photovoltaic Silicon Manufacturing Transformation" »
... "California should cover every available rooftop with photovoltaic solar panels, especially commercial buildings. The panels can be installed quickly, unlike large solar power plants ... " ...Via San Francisco Chronicle: Small-scale solar
Continue reading "Saturation Solar Scenario for California Rooftops" »
" ... inhabitants on the small Danish island of Samso have ... become one of the first industrialised places in the world to qualify as being totally energy self-sufficient ... Denmark ... can now boast a region that can be used by the rest of the planet as the blueprint for future green energy production ... started in 1997 when Samso won a competition ... to become Denmark's "Renewable Energy Island" by presenting a 10-year plan to convert its energy consumption from oil and gas to clean technology ... 21 wind turbines have been built on Samso ..."
" ... houses in Samso's 22 villages are heated by power plants that rely on furnaces fired by wood chips and straw and farms of man-sized solar panels inhabit the fields ... project also creates new jobs as ... island's plumbers and carpenters have now all become experts in energy-saving home conversion and insulation techniques, and even get the opportunity to carry out installations in mainland Europe and the US ..."
For more on this project check out this video ...
Via: Power and Energy News LINK
... "The drive-in station was built by Beautiful Earth (using recycled shipping containers) on land it owns just blocks from company headquarters. " ...Via New York Times: Solar Car-Charging
... "However, these lower prices, diversification of the demand base, and positive incentive movement in multiple regions are now expected to drive substantially higher demand in 2010. " ...Via Semiconductor Today: Solar cell growth forecast
... "Bocian cites lack of funding for basic research as the reason why today’s solar cells have only 6-11 percent energy efficiency. But there is hope in Congress’s recent approval of funding for PARC and 45 similar Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) through the Department of Energy. " ...Via UC Riverside: $1 million to study light-harvesting compounds
Continue reading "Solar Cell Efficiency Funding Challenge" »
... "As the aircraft gently took up speed, the huge wing of the Solar Impulse gradually rose into the air under intense admiration of the project promoters, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg. After some 350 metres of flight at an altitude of one meter, the prototype graciously landed on the centre of the runway, triggering a frenzied applause from the team. " ...Via SOLAR IMPULSE: SOLAR AIRPLANE
... "Greater Cincinnati Water Works (Hamilton County) - $775,655 to install a 280 kW photovoltaic solar array rooftop system; Hull & Associates Inc, Bedford Office (Cuyahoga County) - $266,254 to install a 93 kW solar photovoltaic system at its office building in Northeast Ohio; Hull & Associates Inc, PNA Solar Project (Wood County) - $680,782 to install a 250 kW solar array project on Pilkington North America, Inc’s (PNA) Plant 21 site. " ...Via Ohio Governor Office: State Energy Program ARRA Solar Awards
... "Greek solar-panel manufacturing company intends to build a production facility at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a development that local officials hailed yesterday as an important step in positioning the city to be a key player in the emerging clean-energy economy. " ...Via Philadelphia Inquirer: Solar-panel factory
... "Allen Upward, a research engineer at the University of British Columbia (UBC) said the system is seven times more effective than traditional solar methods. " ...Via BBC: Solar power technology
Continue reading "Solar Tech Evolution Acceleration is Happening Now" »
On November 12, 2009 Dow and Caltech " ... announced ... a multi-year research collaboration ... in solar energy ... aimed at aligning Dow’s capabilities in CIGS based materials with Caltech’s research in next generati aterials."
" ... research ... will initially focus on direct band gap materials that incorporate elements that are less expensive and more commonly available than those used in today’s thin film PV semiconductors. ..."
"Photovoltaics provide carbon free electricity, however the cost and aesthetics of current PV systems has limited its adoption ... Dow recently announced its first building integrated photovoltaic product, the DowTM POWERHOUSETM Solar Shingle ..."
Via: The Dow Chemical Company LINK
... "The DOW POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle integrates low-cost, thin-film CIGS photovoltaic cells into a proprietary roofing shingle design, which represents a multi-functional solar energy generating roofing product. The innovative product design reduces installation costs because conventional roofing shingles and solar generating shingles are installed simultaneously by roofing contractors - no specialized skills or knowledge of solar array installations are required. " ...Via Dow Chemical Company: Time Invention of 2009
... "The $6 million project will provide about one-third of the energy needed to operate the plant. " ...Via The Pottstown Mercury: Aqua Pa cleans water with solar
Continue reading "Solar Energy Integration Municipal Water Treatment" »
Continue reading "Mars NJ Solar Energy Garden Powers Facility" »
... "Number two for solar electric power, and number one in total solar installations on a per capita basis, is small and not-so-sunny New Jersey, more known environment-wise for its abundance of Superfund sites. " ...Via Yale Environment 360: Solar Development
Samsung is well know for developing greener cell phones -- including the Reclaim ...
Now Samsung introduces the Blue Earth environmentally friendly green cell phone. Unlike other green cell phones this is a full featured phone. Among the green features are ... a solar cell for charging, low power use while in standby mode and fewer harmful materials.
" ... Samsung Blue Earth combines the latest multimedia features ... while achieving lower energy consumption and incorporating eco-friendly materials ... made from Post Consumer Material (PCM), ... extracted from water bottles, helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. ... free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Phthalate."
" ... user interface ... designed to draw attention to preserving our fragile environment. With “Eco mode,” screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth can be set to an energy-efficient mode with just one click. ... “Eco Walk” ... allows users to ... calculate the reduction in CO2 emission realized by walking as opposed to using a motor vehicle. ... allows users to see the value of walking by calculating the number of trees that have been saved."
"... the solar panel located on the back of the phone ... can generate enough power to use the device anytime and anywhere. ..."
Via: Samsung LINK
... "The electricity produced by the 130 solar panels will be approximately equivalent to the power needed to run the Campus Center Café for a year. " ...Via Smith College: Campus Center Solar Project
... "Jung-Kun Lee intends to produce advanced versions of the technology used in solar panels and flat-panel displays, aiming for more efficient solar-power cells and optoelectronic devices. His $400,000 project will focus on the next generation of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) - the essential technology in solar panels and flat panel displays - that would allow for increased control and energy harvesting of light. Lee will look at molding metallic nanoparticles into novel nanocomposites-materials with multiple nanoscale dimensions that would increase the concentration of electron carriers without sacrificing their mobility. This will lead to more efficient transport of electricity. " ...Via University of Pittsburgh: Emerging Research in Sustainable Technology
... "Using zinc oxide nanostructures grown on optical fibers and coated with dye-sensitized solar cell materials, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new type of three-dimensional photovoltaic system. The approach could allow PV systems to be hidden from view and located away from traditional locations such as rooftops. " ...Via Georgia Tech: Nanostructures on Optical Fiber
... "The application is currently being reviewed by the county. If approved, construction is planned to begin in 2010. The 75-megawatt reserve is the largest PV solar project ever proposed for the Northwest and if built on schedule, would be one of the largest operating in the world. " ...Via Teanaway Solar Reserve: Results of Economic Study (PDF)
... "The Solar Installer Instructor Training network was launched in October 2009 to address a critical need for high-quality, local, and accessible training in solar system design, installation, sales, and inspection. Solar Installer Instructor Training is a 5-year effort intended to create a geographic blanket of training opportunities in solar installation across the United States. " ...Via Dept of Energy: Solar Installer Instructor Training Network
... "Swanson is one of the world's most recognized leaders in the advancement of photovoltaics (PV) and a pioneer in commercializing cost-effective PV power systems. In 2006, he was honored with the prestigious Becquerel Prize for Outstanding Merits in Photovoltaics, and in 2002 he was presented with the William R. Cherry Award by the IEEE for outstanding contributions to the PV field. In 1991, Swanson resigned from his faculty position to focus his attention to SunPower Corporation, a company he founded in 1985 to develop and commercialize cost-effective, high-efficiency photovoltaic power systems. SunPower's all-back contact solar cells powered Honda to victory in the 1993 World Solar Challenge, and were also used to power Helios, NASA's high-altitude solar powered airplane to a world-record altitude of 96,500 feet. " ...Via SunPower Corp: The Economist Energy and Environment Innovation Award for 2009
... "The award recognizes Block’s role in developing the first national standards for testing and certifying solar equipment, for serving as a founding father of the organization and for building UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center into the largest and most active state-supported solar energy institute in the nation. Block served as FSEC director for 25 years before departing in 2002. " ...Via University of Central Florida: Solar Leadership
Data is presented that shows solar photovoltaic costs decreasing. Over the past decade, photovoltaic module and non-module elements have contributed to the cost decline. ...
... "From 1998 to 2008, installed costs declined by about 3.6% (or $0.3/W) per year, on average, starting from $10.8/W in 1998. Preliminary cost data indicates that the average cost of projects installed through the California Solar Initiative program during the first 8½ months of 2009 rose by $0.4/W relative to 2008, while average costs in New Jersey declined by $0.2/W over the same period. " ...
Via Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Tracking the Sun : The Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the U.S. from 1998-2008 (PDF)
... "Rutgers University’s 1.4-megawatt solar farm will generate approximately 11 percent of the electrical demand of the university’s Livingston Campus and reduce the university’s carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,350 tons per year (the equivalent of removing 230 automobiles from the road). It will save Rutgers more than $200,000 thousand in its first year of operation. " ...Via Rutgers University: 1.4 Megawatt Solar Energy Project
... "Under an agreement signed today, ENN and Duke Energy will concentrate on two types of solar photovoltaic designs: large utility-scale solar farms and commercial distributed generation solar projects. Distributed generation systems produce electricity close to where the energy is used, rather than at large, central power plants. " ...Via Duke Energy: Solar Power Projects Collaboration
... "The grant, from New York based corporation, Prime Source Initiative, Inc., will be awarded in $1.5 million allotments per year for five years. The research will be led by Winston Schoenfeld, a professor in CREOL, College of Optics and Photonics at UCF. He will work on methods to increase the efficiency between the organic material that harvests the sun’s energy and the inorganic semiconductor nanostructures within a hybrid photovoltaic solar cell. " ...Via University of Central Florida: $7.5 Million Grant to Improve Solar Cells
... "Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the five year period from 2004–2008. Voltaix grew 465% during this 5-year period, representing an average annual revenue growth rate of 54%. Voltaix CEO John P. de Neufville credits the company’s success to its ability to conceive, develop and commercialize innovative materials that help enable high performance semiconductor and solar applications. " ...Via Voltaix: Deloitte’s 2009 Technology Fast 500
... "The higher molecular weight of the polymers, reflecting the creation of longer chains of the polymers, has a major benefit in increasing current density in plastic solar cells by as much as a factor of more than four. " ...Via Science Daily: Organic Solar Cells
... "Millipore worked with several vendors to design and install the solar panel system, which includes 1383 Sharp panels and 4 Solectria inverters. It will produce about 352,000 KWH/yr or, approximately 35 homes worth of electricity, which will be used to augment the electricity purchased from the grid to run Millipore’s facilities. " ...Via Millipore: Solar Energy Project
... "The thin film panels, while less efficient than conventional silicon, were projected to perform better in cloudy weather than silicon. Team Germany got its proof on the competition's fifth day when skies turned slate gray and a cold rain splattered the solar village. " ...Via PhysOrg: Solar Village
... "The Army will partner with the private sector to construct a 500 megawatt solar thermal plant at Fort Irwin, Calif, in the Mojave Desert, that will provide renewable power on the grid and provide the sprawling Army post with added energy security against disruption of power supply. " ...Via Army: Energy Initiatives
... "National Gypsum Company in Mount Holly, N.C., will house a 1.2-megawatt system which includes 5,096 rooftop solar panels; Highwood Properties in Greensboro, N.C., will house a 1.6-megawatt system which includes 7,020 rooftop solar panels; Food Lion, in Salisbury, N.C., will house a 1,292-kilowatt (1.3-megawatt) system which includes 5,616 rooftop solar panels; and Childress Klein Properties in Charlotte, N.C., will house a 532-kilowatt (.5-megawatt) system which includes 2,314 rooftop solar panels. These sites were selected based on their ready access to the electrical grid and solar productivity potential, in addition to other essential lease agreement criteria. Installations will begin immediately, with all phase one systems being installed by the end of the first quarter of 2010. " ...Via Duke Energy: Distributed Generation Solar Sites
Continue reading "Solar Decathlon Germany House Technology Showcase" »
... "Constructed in less than a year, the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center uses over 90,000 photovoltaic panels to turn the sun's rays into electricity to power more than 3,000 homes. The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is one of three new commercial-scale, renewable, solar power plants FPL is building in Florida, along with solar energy centers in Martin County and at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Together, these will total 110 megawatts of capacity by the end of 2010 and are expected to make Florida the second largest solar power-producing state in the country. " ...Via FPL: DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center
The Dow Chemical company is active in the green energy space with several innovative products. They recently announced their entry into the solar cell market with the " ... POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle, ... panels in the form of solar shingles that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. ... expected to be available in limited quantities by mid-2010 and ... more widely available in 2011, ..."
"... integrates low-cost, thin-film CIGS photovoltaic cells into a proprietary roofing shingle design, ... design reduces installation costs because the conventional roofing shingles and solar generating shingles are installed simultaneously by roofing contractors ..."
"... addresses two of the biggest challenges associated with solar power – cost and acceptance. "
... "To meet and exceed energy conservation guidelines, the 56th CES resource efficiency management office has written a base energy plan. The plan outlines new equipment being purchased and installed at Luke must be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certified, as well as meet the 30 percent reduction in energy consumption by federal agencies by 2015 relative to a 2005 baseline. One model for energy savings is the solar system on the roof of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service building, which produces more than 75 percent of the buildings electrical energy. The 56th CES has several energy savings projects in the works. " ...Via Luke AFB: Energy conservation prize
... "Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz announced that the university will partner with Alteris Renewables to develop one of the largest solar arrays in Massachusetts. Alteris will provide the design, engineering and installation for this 277kW solar system. " ...Via Brandeis University: Solar panel array planned
... "The billions in government funding being allocated globally in clean technology have begun emboldening private capital, which has in turn helped propel clean technology to the leading venture investment sector, now eclipsing biotech and IT, said Dallas Kachan, Managing Director, Cleantech Group. The two largest venture deals (Solyndra and Tesla Motors) and the largest IPO (A123Systems) this quarter were all recipients of U.S. government funding. ... " ...Via The Cleantech Group: 2009 Clean technology venture investment
... "Fluor will provide design optimization to rapidly scale eSolar’s 46 megawatt power plants. The undisclosed contract value was booked in the company’s third quarter of 2009. ... Bill Gross, CEO, eSolar: We believe that Fluor’s superior engineering strength will lead to faster and broader deployment to meet the rising global demand for renewable energy. " ...Via Yahoo Finance: Fluor Solar Plant Contract
Continue reading "Fluor Design Optimization Accelerates Solar Power Plant Deployment" »
... "Natural Fusion is the first residential project to utilize the Solyndra cylindrical photovoltaics, which captures more sunlight throughout the entire day than traditional flat panels, which can only capture the most intense sunlight in the middle of the day. It's a system called Green Roof Integrated Photovoltaics (GRIP V) where the properties of the green roof beneath the panels create greater efficiency in powering the house. " ...Via Penn State: Solar-powered home design
Boston's entry in the Solar Decathlon is called Curio House and is built mostly from off the shelf technologies and powered by the sun. Cobuilt by Tufts University and the Boston Architecture School the building will be on its way to the Solar Decathlon competition in Washington, DC in October.
See related post on the Solar Decathlon.
" ... designed to run entirely from solar energy. ..."
" ... team has focused its design on affordability, making an 800-square-foot building using almost entirely off-the-shelf products and technologies. ... lined up a buyer for the home in Cape Cod where it is supposed to be the first unit in a green housing development. ... projected cost of the building, big enough for two people and a small child, is about $200,000. ..."
Via: ZDNet LINK
producing high temperature steam to generate power via a turbine. ...
... "The size of the site has now expanded to include a twelve-square-mile area within the larger Coyote Springs development in Lincoln County. The site is located on private property near transmission lines and, as part of the broader development site, has already received environmental permits from the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and various other federal, state and county agencies. The power generated from the Coyote Springs site could meet demand generated in the Coyote Springs development, southern Nevada, as well as deliver power to California. Located northeast of Las Vegas, the Coyote Springs development will also include several residential and commercial components. " ...Via BrightSource Energy: Coyote Spring Solar Thermal Expansion (Release, PDF)
Continue reading "Solar Thermal Expansion at Coyote Springs Nevada" »
... "24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (PVSEC) and Exhibition, to be held in Hamburg, Germany from the 21 to 25 of September 2009 ... " ...Via Applied Materials: 24th Annual PVSEC
... "Photovoltaic metallization pastes are screen printed onto the surface of solar cells in a pattern of grid lines which serve to collect electricity produced by the cell and transport it out. To maximize efficiency in the solar cell, the multiple printing technology will reduce the shadowing effect of wide grid lines on solar cells and improve electrical conductivity. Applied Baccini Esatto Technology together with DuPont Solamet photovoltaic metallization pastes enables narrower and taller grid lines to be precisely printed in two or more layers. In addition to demanding precise alignment of the patterning system, multiple printing requires the paste to be finely tuned to perform consistently during all printing passes. " ...Via Dupont: Solar Cell Efficiency Booster
... "The college recently received approval from state high education officials to offer three solar energy certificate programs: basic solar photovoltaic, solar thermal installation and photovoltaic installation. " ...Via The Citizen Telegram: Solar energy oportunities
The EPA has recognized Applied Materials with a 2009 Green Power Leadership Award for its dedication to green power from on-premise generation and renewable energy procurement. Applied has responded to the EPA Fortune 500 challenge with solar energy generation and the purchasing of green power. ...
... "Applied Materials was one of only three organizations nationwide to receive a Leadership Award for the on-site generation of green power. The award recognizes EPA Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves using on-site renewable energy applications, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) or wind energy projects. Applied Materials is currently generating 3.2 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually in the U.S. using on-site solar power generation at the company’s California and Texas facilities. In addition, Applied Materials purchases more than 31 million kWh of green power annually. In total, the company uses enough green power to meet more than 15 percent of its electricity use. " ...
Via Applied Materials: EPA Green Power Leadership Award
Continue reading "On-Site Green Power Generation Leadership at Applied Materials" »
As both wind and solar power are intermittent - unlike gas, coal, oil or nuclear fired power plants - there is a need for an effective way to store these energy sources until they are needed. The ability to smooth the supply with the demand is becoming more impor
tant as solar and wind start to power the grid.
Compressed Air Energy Storage - CAES " ... stores off-peak energy, in the form of compressed air in an underground reservoir, and releases this energy during peak hours. ... used for load management of intermittent renewable energy resources or as a stand-alone intermediate generation source for capturing energy arbitrage, capacity payments and ancillary services. ..."
"Renewable power sources are critical to addressing climate change. CAES greatly enhances the value of renewable power sources by (1) storing energy produced by renewables when demand is low and releasing it when it is needed, and by (2) rapidly providing power in the event of a sudden loss of renewables generation. ..."
Via: Energy Storage and Power LINK
1366 Technologies, an MIT spinoff, brings incremental improvements to the solar design and manufacturing process, that are resulting in cheaper and efficient cells. ...
... "The company’s first technology - texturing - etches silicon wafers with a honeycomb pattern that refracts more light into the base of the cell. " ...
Via Xconomy: Solar cell design
... "About 150 homes and businesses are participating in the Illinois Solar Tour next month. Some people are looking to purchase systems and they'd like to talk to homeowners as opposed to installers to really get a greater understanding of the energy difference. " ...Via ABC7 Chicago: Solar tour
Continue reading "Illinois Solar Tour Highlights Efficient Homes" »
... "Google is looking to cut the cost of making heliostats, the fields of mirrors that have to track the sun, by at least a factor of two, ideally a factor of three or four. " ...Via Reuters: Google solar mirror power
... "Located in Luckenwalde near Berlin, the fully-automated factory processes Nanosolar cells into finished Nanosolar panels using innovative high-throughput manufacturing techniques and tooling developed by Nanosolar and its partners. The panel factory is automated to sustain a production rate of one panel every ten seconds, or an annual capacity of 640MW when operated 24x7. " ...Via NanoSolar: Germany Panel Factory Completed
... "Phase 1 will be a 30 megawatt demonstration project that will begin construction by June 1, 2010 and be completed as soon thereafter as practicable. Phases 2, 3 and 4 will be 100 megawatts, 870 megawatts, and 1,000 megawatts. Phases 2 and 3 will be completed in 2014 and Phase 4 will be completed by 2019. " ...Via First Solar: Major Solar Power Plant in China
... "Placencia's project proposal aims to resolve three issues: remounting of the existing photovoltaic panels and reinstalling a wind turbine at David Douglas High School; designing and installing the monitoring system; and designing and installing the human-machine interface, which will provide the interactive features of the system. " ...Via Oregon Institute of Technology: PGE Grant funds project
... "Fab 2 is designed to produce 500 megawatts per year. The new facility will enable Solyndra to fulfill its announced contractual backlog of over $2 billion and create additional jobs. Solyndra's two Fabs will produce enough solar panels over their lifetime to cut over 350 million metric tons of CO2 emissions or 850 million barrels of oil. " ...Via Solyndra: New 500 Megawatt Solar Plant
... "Sustainable Waves, a company that provides solar-powered sound and staging, was in charge of the Eco Lands section located at the Panhandle Stage in Speedway Meadow. " ...Via San Francisco State University's Golden Gate Xpress: Sustainable Concert Event
... "A second phase for the Loveall farm will add more solar panels, plus move an existing 66-foot wind turbine next to the barn to produce wind power to allow the farm to be 100 percent energy independent. " ...Via Solid State Technology: Energy Independent Farm in Indiana
... "Building Teams should assess the remaining life of the existing roof covering as part of a PV project, says Dregger. He says serious consideration should be given to replacing the existing roof covering as part of a PV project. " ...Via Building Design & Construction: Rooftop installation tips
Continue reading "Solar Installation Advice from the Voice of Experience" »
... "The U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., independently tested the efficiency of the Spectrolab cell in June, validating that it surpassed the previous record of 41.1 percent held by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. High-efficiency solar cells in concentrator systems require fewer cells to produce the same electrical output as conventional solar cells. " ...Via Spectrolab: World Record Solar Cell Efficiency
... "This year, a new net-metering contest will evaluate each home’s ability to produce its own power. The competition focuses on cutting edge energy efficient and renewable energy innovation while providing a unique green jobs training opportunity for each of the students. " ...Via Department of Energy: Solar Decathlon 2009
Prairie Bunkers LLC is repurposing WWII ammunition depots into secure energy efficient data centers. These structures are built to withstand force 5 tornadoes.
In addition to the green aspect of repurposing an existing building ... there are others green features.
"Saves approximately 5000 cubic tons of carbon emission which would be produced by construction of a similar structure ... electrical provider .... has a high percentage of renewable energy, including hydro, wind and nuclear ... On-site solar and wind energy systems in planning stages ... Air Economizers to use “free cooling” from average annual temperature of 54 degrees ... Optional active geothermal ... heat pump system ... Passive Geothermal, provided by the bermed earth covering on three sides and top of bunkers ..."
" .... Native vegetation landscaping minimizes irrigation ... Fire suppression agent has zero carbon foot print ... UPS Options including flywheel technology ... Recycled building products including flooring tiles and cable trays ..."
Via: Prairie Bunkers, LLC LINK
... "Through processes initiated by Suniva founder and CTO, Dr. Ajeet Rohatgi, and further developed in Suniva’s R&D lab, the company has achieved certified efficiencies of more than 20 percent on screen-printed cells in the lab (certified by NREL). Suniva plans to steadily raise its commercial cell efficiencies above 20 percent through a series of incremental design and processing innovations. " ...Via Suniva: Solar Cells Surpass 18% Efficiency (Release, PDF)
Gainesville Regional Utilities, Gainesville, Florida's utility pormots solar and offers assistance to businesses and residences that will install solar.
" ... energy-producing solar panels in Gainesville has skyrocketed since the city implemented its new solar incentive program ... waiting list for the program - which is the first solar feed-in tariff in the United States and offers above-market-rate prices for electricity produced by privately owned and installed solar panels - now stretches until 2016."
Between the price GRU offers for the electricity and state rebates for solar panel installation, the feed-in tariff should prove lucrative for those installing solar photovoltaics in the program.
However, the program is limited on a first-come, first-served basis to 4 new megawatts of electricity a year from solar power - more than double the megawatts produced locally a year ago.
The first change proposed Thursday would allow those people waiting in line to install solar panels in 2010 to install the panels now and be paid market rate for the energy the panels produce until the contract they've signed up for kicks in and they are able to receive the higher rate.
"We don't have anything in the program that allows us to pay them for electricity," said Ed Regan, assistant general manager of strategic planning at GRU. "If they're in the queue for 2010, a year for which we know the price, then we would let them build it early."
Another part of that is that GRU is proposing to reinstate the commercial net-metering system that was discontinued when the feed-in tariff was adopted.
Net metering allows people with solar panels to use their own electricity, and if there is any excess energy produced, GRU credits the bill.
The other changes are largely administrative in nature.
"There was a fair amount of gaming or jockeying for position that made us institute additional rules," Regan said of the somewhat unexpected rush that filled up all 4 megawatts of solar panels for the first year in a matter of days.
At least one person has challenged technical terms in the ordinance, arguing the language in the ordinance allows more solar energy to be installed every year, or that the ordinance has fixed prices out to the year 2030.
Regan recommended the commission approve language for the ordinance specifying that only 4 megawatts will be permitted in the program every year and that the ordinance should be changed so that the payout rate after the year 2010 says "to be determined."
"I think Gainesville can be proud to be on the forefront," Hunzinger said. "We have heard some criticism saying 'do not use Gainesville as a model.' To me that's personally, professionally disturbing to hear. However, I do understand there will be criticism. No good deed goes unpunished. The primary reason for implementing the (feed-in tariff) was to encourage solar PV installations in our service area."
Via: GRU.com LINK
The small German town of Dardesheim (fewer than 1,000) and neighbors in Halberstadt in what was East Germany "... want to become 100% renewable using solar, wind, and biomass."
" ... Four pioneering wind turbines were installed in the mid-1990s, collectively producing one million kWh per year ..." 
"In 2006 they developed a 62 MW wind project comprising 28 Enercon E70s and one E112, a giant 6 MW turbine ... wind turbines will generate from 120 to 130 million kWh annually, enough to meet the needs of nearly all the 80,000 residents of the county."
" ... also installed nine different solar PV plants ... During their first year of operation the combined 380 kW of solar PV generated nearly 250,000 kWh, about one-third of the Dardesheim's domestic electricity consumption."
Via: Wind-Works LINK
Gainesville Florida has been active in alternative energy since 1997 offering rebates for solar water heating and now for solar PV. They are now looking to increase the amount of PV electricity generated by offering more incentives.
" ...offered solar water heating rebates since 1997 and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems rebates since 2007 ... now ... created a solar feed-in-tariff (FIT) program to increase the number of solar PV systems in Gainesville."
" ... May 2009, ... approved a 30-year contract between GRU and Gainesville Renewable Energy Center ... build, own and operate a 100-megawatt biomass power plant ... fueled by forestry-waste material generated by ... paper pulp, chip and saw timber – as well as urban wood waste. "
" ... using biomass ... will promote our energy independence, add diversity to our fuel supply and shield customers from anticipated increasing fossil-fuel prices. ... allow Gainesville to achieve its carbon-reduction goals, which are based on the Kyoto Protocol."
" ... plan to purchase energy that G2 Energy, ... generate from methane gas collected at the Marion County Baseline Landfill ... "
Via: Gainesville Regional Utilities LINK
Imaging a ZERO energy home. Sound realistic? GE thinks so !
GE's “Net Zero Energy Home” ..." ... combines GE’s most efficient appliances and lighting, GE’s new energy management systems, and GE power generating and storing technologies. ... together, the system will enable a homeowner to achieve net zero energy costs by 2015."
" ... the Home Energy Manager, the central nervous system for the Net Zero Energy Home. ... smart thermostats will also be introduced ... to work in tandem with the energy manager. ... plans to develop residential power generation products like solar PV and residential wind products that will also contribute to the net zero concept."
" ... respondents in the U.S. and ... in the U.K. say they are willing to pay an increased monthly rate for smart grid technology if there is a corresponding reduction in overall energy costs by 15 percent."
Via: GE LINK
" ... SolarChill ... aims to create a stand-alone solar powered refrigerator that not only preserves food, but also meets the World Health Organization's standards for vaccine storage ... One SolarChill unit can serve a population of 50,000 people for preserving vaccines. ... for use in emergency relief where electrical supply has been disrupted by war or natural disaster."
" ... energy is stored in ice instead of batteries. An ice compartment keeps the cabinet at desired temperatures during the night. ... key to the technology is the use of a direct current compressor ... first ever application of a direct current hydrocarbon compressor in the world."
"SolarChill is currently at the prototype field-testing stage. ... in Indonesia, Cuba and Senegal...."
Via: Greenpeace LINK
Via: SolarChill LINK
... "The solar power project is the third between a FedEx operating company and BP Solar and the fifth solar power project for FedEx. The 2.42 megawatt solar power system will cover approximately 3.3 acres of rooftop space with approximately 12,400 solar panels. When completed, the system will be capable of producing approximately 2.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year and could provide up to 30 percent of the hub’s annual energy needs. " ...Via FedEx Ground: NJ Rooftop Solar Power System
Berkeley, California is into solar and wants to help residents and businesses make the move to solar. To help they offer two tools ...
> One tool is a solar portal that allows property owners to look at their roof and determine both the solar potential and the cost.
>A second tool provides financing paid by by taxes
" ... Solar Mapping ... estimate the solar potential of their rooftops and view existing solar installations. ... get an estimated size of a photovoltaic (PV) system that would fit ... obtain detailed information on tax rebates and choose from a listing of available installers ... map reflects elements such as rooftop structures, the slant of the roof, shading ... and ... azimuth of the sun for PV panel placement."
" ... Berkeley FIRST program, a solar finance program ... provides property owners an opportunity to borrow money ... and repay the financing through property tax bills."
Via: MatterNetwork LINK
... "On the appointment of Bill Sims, as president and CEO: In addition to his proven leadership and record of operational excellence, Bill has direct experience bringing new technologies to market against long-established incumbents --- in Joule’s case, fossil fuels. We’re thrilled to see the company emerge and build a successful path to energy independence under his guidance. " ...Via Joule Biotechnologies: Solar Startup
Continue reading "Liquid Fuel from Solar Energy and CO2 using Biotech Process" »
... "The latest in Nanometrics’ Trajectory product line, the TSM is designed to rapidly measure the thickness of various thin films in order to enable fast feedback and excursion prevention in the manufacture of all types of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, and further expands Nanometrics’ metrology system footprint into the segment of rough and textured PV film layers. " ...Via Nanometrics: Metrology System for Solar PV Applications
... "Now, with both systems in place, there are about five months in the year when he only pays 10 dollars for electricity from a conventional power plant ... " ...Via Scienceline: Solar thermal energy
... "Scientists measure the amount of sunlight falling on specific locations at different times of the year. They then estimate the amount of sunlight falling on regions at the same latitude with similar climates. Measurements of solar energy are typically expressed as total radiation on a horizontal surface, or as total radiation on a surface tracking the sun. Radiation data for solar electric (photovoltaic) systems are often represented as kilowatt-hours per square meter (kWh/m2). " ...Via Energy Savers: Solar Radiation
... "The DESERTEC concept, developed by the TREC Initiative of the Club of Rome, describes the perspectives of a sustainable power supply for all regions of the world with access to the energy potential of deserts. " ...Via DESERTEC Foundation: Industrial Initiative
Continue reading "Desertec Industrial Initiative DII Solar Thermal Power Network" »
... "The Teanaway Solar Reserve is the largest photovoltaic solar project ever proposed for the Northwest. Once completed, it will be tied to the utility grid and generate up to 75 megawatts of clean, renewable energy ... " ...Via Teanaway Solar: Reserve
... "PG&E awarded the SOLON Corporation a contract to produce photovoltaic modules and build a 2 MW power plant, which is planned to be completed in December 2009, in a multi-stage bidding process involving several top North American solar companies. The power plant is a pilot project for PG&E aimed at enabling the utility to develop more photovoltaic power plants in the future. As part of its solar energy initiative, PG&E plans to use photovoltaic power to deliver more than 1,000 gigawatt hours of electricity each year by 2015. " ...Via SOLON: PG&E Picks SOLON
... "The project will be the first utility-scale solar power project located on local government property in the state. This is the fifth and largest solar array project announced by Progress Energy Carolinas, bringing the total amount of solar-generated electricity scheduled to be purchased by the company to more than 5 megawatts. " ...Via City of Raleigh: Solar Array Project Agreement Reached
... "The three-year program is designed to accelerate commercialization of an ultra-thin protective film -- more than 3,000 times thinner than a human hair -- that prevents moisture from degrading the performance of thin-film PV modules, a key challenge in the past. " ...Via Dupont: Thin Film Solar Research with DOE
Fat Spaniel Technologies provides real time monitoring of your solar PV system. Read their case studies of Jay Leno's car garage and SF International Airport.
Track your actual generation / performance and see ... "... display total power generated by ... day, week, month, or year ... local irradiance, cell temperature, and ambient temperature ... avoided greenhouse gases (CO2, NOx and Sox) over the lifetime ..."
It can be used to proactively guide behavior changes ... " Generate Energy 
Savings Via Behavior Modification ..." ... Educate ... by publishing real-time and historical data ... Cut electricity usage up to 10% by changing habits of building occupants ..."
" ... Fat Spaniel provides ... an industrial-grade, Software-as-a-Service renewable energy plant management system that enables plant operators to: ... Manage renewable energy plants in real-time ... Communicate and interact with mobile personnel ... Generate revenue utilizing back-end services for regulatory agency reporting, renewable energy certificate (REC) registration, and environmental reporting"
Via: Fat Spaniel Technologies LINK
The University of New Mexico at Taos is investing in a significant solar array, occupying three and one half acres, to take advantage of the abundant sunshine and satisfy the school's electrical power requirements. ...
... "When completed next month, the three and one half acre solar array, containing more than 2,700 photovoltaic panels, will generate 500 KW of power, more than enough to serve power needs of the UNM-Taos campus. Any additional power will go into the grid. " ...Via University of New Mexico at Taos: Energy Independence
Zwahlen's is a local (Audubon PA) ice cream and chocolate establishment that just so happens to have the first commercial use of SRS Energy's Sole Power Tile Roof.
I was driving past the store last evening when my son told me about the sign on the front that said --- something along the lines "the best ice cream under the sun is now powered by the sun". I needed to check this out ...
" SRS Energy, ...installed ... the first building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing product designed for curved roofing systems, ... the first commercial installation of the Sole Power Tile(TM) system ..."
"T...a great example of how time-tested traditions and cutting-edge technology can meet to create something beautiful," said Marty Low, CEO of SRS Energy and owner of Zwahlen's. "
" ... designed to blend seamlessly with several styles of US Tile's clay tiles, providing energy without the use of traditional solar panels that can compromise a building's roofline and curb appeal. ... preserves Zwahlen's charming Swiss chalet look."
"SRS Energy recently introduced the Sole Power Tile(TM) system to the greater Philadelphia region at the PV America show, held at the Pennsylvania Convention center during the week of June 7, 2009."
SRS Energy's Sole Power Tile can generate 500 Watts per sq ft.
Via: EarthTimes LINK
Via: SRS Energy LINK
... "During the fall of 2008, SCE completed the first of what eventually will be about 150 sites making up this program, a 600,000-square-foot Fontana, Calif. distribution warehouse roof. The rooftop now holds 33,700 advanced thin-film solar panels with a generating capacity of 2.4 megawatts of direct current power, known as DC power – the largest single rooftop solar photovoltaic array in California. SCE already has begun construction of its second installation atop a 458,000-square-foot industrial building in Chino, Calif. First Solar of Tempe, Ariz. was the winning bidder to supply panels for these first two installations. " ...Via Southern California Edison: California Regulators Approve Solar Panel Installation Program
... "The Concept Tent’s solar shell uses this technology to full effect with three directional glides which can be moved throughout the day to maximise its solar efficiency, capturing the optimum amount of energy which can to be used throughout the tent in a variety of new and exciting ways. To avoid festival-goers ever losing their tent, the Concept Tent would be fitted with innovative glo-cation technology. Glo-cation works by enabling campers’ mobile phones to identify their tent using either an SMS message or automatic active RFID technology (a longer range version of that used in London Underground Oyster cards); both would trigger a distinctive glow in the tent helping identify it from a distance. " ...Via Orange: Solar Concept Tent at Glastonbury
... "* Europe needs to dramatically increase the share of PV to meet its 20/20/20 energy goals; * A 12% market share for PV in Europe is a demanding, but achievable and desirable objective; ... " ...Via European Photovoltaic Industry Association: 2020
... "The plane, covered in almost 12,000 photovoltaic cells, has a wingspan of 63.4 meters, or roughly that of Airbus A340, and only weighs 1,600 kg, equivalent to that of a motor car. " ...Via China Daily: Solar-powered plane
... "This was 94 more laps than the second-place finisher University of Kentucky. Northwestern University placed third. The University of Minnesota team also ran the fastest lap at two minutes and 20 seconds. Eleven solar car teams from across the country participated in the event this year. " ...Via University of Minnesota: Solar car race
... "India's renewable energy ministry has declared a new program designed to expand solar power generating projects up to a maximum capacity of 50MW. " ...Via Gerson Lehrman Group: India Solar Power
There are multiple approaches to using solar to create power ... one option is PV (photovoltaic) where panels convert sunlight directly to DC current ... another is CSP (concentrated solar power).
CSP is a form of solar power that uses mirrors to focus the suns rays on panels ... these panels have a heat transfer fluid in them that then is used to generate steam which drives a trubine to produce electricity.
>>> Basically a nuclear type approach with solar replacing the nuclear energy source.
" ... mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers ... DOWTHERM™ ... heat transfer fluids collect the heat ... converts water to steam, which in turn drives turbines to make electricity. ... DOWTHERM™ A, has the high temperature stability required to collect, transport, and store that solar generated heat."
" ... Dow ... commitment and leadership in energy efficiency ... Over the last 14 years, Dow's efforts to conserve power globally have resulted in saving more than 1,600 trillion BTU's of energy and prevented the release of about 86 million metric tons of carbon dioxide."
Via: Dow Chemical Company LINK
... "The first of these solar power plants, sized at 110 MW and located in Ivanpah, Calif., is contracted to begin operation in 2012. BrightSource will build and place in commercial operation each of its plants as quickly as permitting and infrastructure allow. All seven projects are expected to produce 3,666 gigawatt-hours of power each year, equal to the annual consumption of about 530,000 average homes. " ...Via Pacific Gas & Electric: Record Solar Power Deal
... "The Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center will be located on NASA property at Kennedy Space Center and, when completed, will produce an estimated 10 megawatts of clean, emissions-free power for FPL customers, which is enough energy to serve roughly 1,100 homes. FPL is also building a separate solar facility of approximately one megawatt that will provide clean power directly to Kennedy Space Center, helping NASA meet its renewable energy goals. " ...Via Florida Power and Light: New solar array at Kennedy Space Center
Continue reading "NASA Kennedy Space Center Solar Energy Generation" »
.jpg "POTUS Oboma at Nellis with Solar Panels")
May 27th, 2009 - Nellis AFB - Nevada.
U.S. president Obama went to Nellis AFB to see " ... the nation's largest photovoltaic array and speak ... about the importance of alternative energy initiatives. ... highlighted Nellis' 14-megawatt solar project as a stellar example of environmental stewardship and innovative energy technology."
Facts about the Nellis system:
" ... completed in December of 2007, is America's largest solar photovoltaic array. ... will generate more than 30 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity annually and supply approximately 25% of the total power used at the base, ... covers 140 acres ... 33 acres of which are a capped landfill which has been reused for this "green" energy project. ... over 72,000 solar panels which track the sun to maximize the solar renewable energy we can receive. ... will reduce carbon emissions by 24,000 tons annually."
Via: WhiteHouse.gov Link
Via: Nellis Air Force Base Link
Continue reading "Nellis AFB Solar Array - 30 million kWh System" »
... "In tests conducted at HaWi's facility in Eggenfelden / Munich, a structure representing obstructions shaded a portion of a conventionally wired solar photovoltaic system. Although 16 percent to 20 percent of the array was shaded, it resulted in average power losses of nearly 28 percent. However, an identical solar array fitted with National's SolarMagic power optimizers produced on average between 7 percent and 21 percent more electricity in the same conditions, effectively recouping 54.4 percent of the lost power. National developed SolarMagic technology to improve the energy harvest of solar installations. Real-world conditions such as shading, debris and panel aging can lead to disproportionate power losses in solar arrays. For example, shading of less than 10 percent of the surface of a solar panel can slash power output by 50 percent. " ...Via National Semiconductor: Energy Field Trial
Taiwan has built a solar powered stadium that can generate 100% of it's powder needs and can send power to the grid when the stadium is not hosting an event.
" ... solar-powered stadium that can generate 100% of its electricity from the sun. ... can hold 50,000 spectators and is made with over 8,000 solar panels."
"...will officially open in July for the 2009 World Games. ... ntegrates many other sustainable features such as permeable paving and maximum use of domestic materials and local labor."
" .... [when] not being used, the government plans to feed surplus energy into the local grid, where it will meet approximately 80% of the neighboring area's demand. This equates to approximately 660 tons of carbon dioxide per year! "
Via: WholeTravel blog LINK
... "What: Is it Solar’s Time in the United States? Where: International Gasteemphang West at EG at the Messe When: Thursday, May 28, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Who: Winfried Hoffmann, VP and CTO Energy and Environmental Solutions, Applied Materials Rhone Resch, President and CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association, a leading trade association for the solar energy industry in the United States John Antone, VP of Marketing, Energy and Environmental Solutions, Applied Materials Special Guest " ...Via Applied Materials: U.S. Renewable Energy Policies
... "This achievement by SANYO represents the first time that a photovoltaic manufacturer has broken through the 23% mark in conversion efficiency at the research-level for practical-sized solar cells, and further cements the leadership of SANYO’s HIT solar cell which is renowned for its high conversion efficiency. For now on SANYO will continue to advance its efforts into applying this research-level achievement into mass production, and promote further research into energy efficiency, as well as reductions in cost and materials. " ...Via Sanyo Electric: HIT Solar Cells Reach Highest Energy Conversion Efficiency of 23.0%
Continue reading "Sanyo Solar HITs High Conversion Efficiency" »
I first saw the Big Belly at the Green Expo in Philadelphia in April [LINK]. The benefits seemed compelling ... solar power allows siting away from power sources, ability to compact trash 5:1 and it can be outfitted with a wireless connection to signal when full so trash / recycling trucks bypass containers that do not need to be emptied.
This morning [May 18th, 2009)] I saw several being installed along Market St East in center City Philadelphia. Th.jpg "BigBelly - 8th and Market St, Center City Philadelphia")
is photo is of a container on the SE corner of 8th and Market.
"BigBelly is the world's only solar-powered cordless compaction system. ... Increased capacity reduces collection trips and can cut related fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. ... has proven successful in urban streets, parks, colleges, arenas - and in all weather conditions."
" ... can hold 150 gallons of trash, ... gets 100% of its energy from the sun and uses less than 5 watt hours/day ..."
Philadelphia is scheduled to get approx. 500 Big Bellies!
Via: BigBelly LINK
... "The Inverted Metamorphic Multijunction (IMM) Solar Cell was named a winner of the 2009 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer by the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer. The original IMM cell was invented by Mark Wanlass of NREL’s Concentrating Photovoltaics (CPV) Group. The design established a solar cell efficiency of 37.9% under concentrated light equal to 10 suns in 2005. In 2008, a modified version of the IMM design set a new record of 40.8% efficiency under 326 suns at NREL. " ...Via National Renewable Energy Lab: Solar Cell Wins Federal Tech Prize
... "The City of San Francisco is currently planning a five megawatt solar photovoltaic system on the roof of the City’s largest reservoir, located at 24th and Ortega Streets in the Sunset district. " ...Via Recurrent Energy: San Francisco Sunset Reservoir Solar Installation
I am looking to install solar panels on my house and would like to know ... before teh vendors start coming by .... what my "solar value" amounts to.
RoofRay is a "BETA app" that uses GOOGLE maps to find your building / house location and determine the solar potential. You trace out the viable roof areas, show the slope direction and get an estimate of the roof solar potential.
You can use it to check out your current house .... or a property you might be interested in purchasing ...
Check out the YouTube video ...
Via: RoofRay LINK
... "Skyline’s HGS architecture delivers ten times more energy per gram of silicon versus traditional flat-panel systems in sunny locations and offers industry-leading energy density. Skyline HGS arrays combine industry-proven silicon cells, durable reflector materials and single-axis tracking into a complete, easy-to-deploy system. Built primarily out of commodity materials with globally available manufacturing processes from the PV and automotive industries, Skyline HGS simultaneously improves financial payback and scalability. As a result, Skyline Solar believes the HGS architecture is the fastest path to grid parity. " ...Via Skyline Solar: Manufacturer of Patented, High Gain Solar (HGS) System
... "For example, Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co. is in the process of moving to a new facility. The new location has the largest solar array in the state and a refrigeration unit that detects when the outside air temperature is cool enough to allow it to shut down. " ...Via Montana State University: Documentary about Montana microbreweries
... "The project primarily will utilize open space on the West campus and will meet nearly all of its energy needs, said David Brixen, ASU interim vice president of university services. It is part of the second phase of ASU’s overall solarization project on all of its campuses. " ...Via Arizona State University: West campus solar project
... "Solarphire AR glass is formulated with a proprietary anti-reflective coating that facilitates the efficient conversion of solar light into energy. In 3.2-millimeter thicknesses, Solarphire AR glass yields a solar-weighted transmittance of more than 93 percent, making it one of the industry’s most transmissive glass products. " ...Via PPG: SOLARPHIRE AR glass for the solar market
... "Arizona State University and Advent Solar will collaborate to develop next-generation solar technology based upon the architectural framework provided by Advent Solar Ventura Technology. This technology provides the blueprint for delivering the industry’s best value for silicon PV modules. Ventura Solar Technology combines the Emitter-Wrap Through (EWT) back-contact cell with Monolithic Module Assembly (MMA). It is an integrated cell-to-module architecture that delivers higher energy efficiency at lower production costs. " ...Via Advent Solar: Next Generation Solar Technology
... "PS20 is the world's second power tower plant in commercial use. PS20 features a number of significant technological improvements with respect to PS10, the first commercial power tower. These enhancements, developed by Abengoa Solar, include a higher-efficiency receiver, various improvements in the control and operational systems, and a better thermal energy storage system. PS20 consists of a solar field made up of 1,255 mirrored heliostats designed by Abengoa Solar. Each heliostat, with a surface area of 1,291 square feet, reflects the solar radiation it receives onto the receiver, located on the top of a 531 feet-high tower , producing steam which is converted into electricity generation by a turbine. " ...Via Abengoa: Solar power tower plant
... "The fully automated facility will create more than 300 new jobs and, at capacity, produce 200 MW of solar modules annually. Its manufacturing process employs Abound Solar's proprietary continuous in-line semiconductor equipment to convert sheets of glass into solar panels in less than two hours. " ...Via Colorado State University: ABOUND SOLAR OPENS PRODUCTION FACILITY
Continue reading "Colorado Solar Production Facility Opens" »
... "Babcock Ranch is the first city planned to be powered by the sun, with the majority of its electric needs generated from the largest on-site solar photovoltaic energy facility powering any city on earth. " ...Via Babcock Ranch: Southwest Florida City
... "GreenSky created a 10-panel solar hot water system that will save the business more than 850 therms (each therm is the energy equivalent of burning 100 cubic feet of natural gas) and prevent more than five tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. " ...Via University of Wisconsin at Green Bay: Sunny future
Go Green Expo for NYC (April 17 - 19) and Atlanta (June 26 - 28) are on the way. Go Green Expo has already been to LA and Philadelphia ...
The Green Dude and Green Tech both visited the Phila show and came away impressed by the information available. Among the neat things I saw were ... 
- solar powered garbage can ... when the trash level crosses a light beam it is crushed down ... it can be equipped with a wireless devise to alert you when full ...
- paper made from elephant dung ... used for business cards and fine writing paper ... 
- several manufacturers of dry cleaner garment bags ... you take your dry cleaning to the cleaners in these bags and they are returned in the same bag -- eliminating the need for plastic bags. There were several models available ... from organic cotton to bags made with recycled plastic bags (though a much heavier fabric).
>>> QUESTION to our readers ... I am considering getting one of the dry cleaner bags (permanent end to plastic bags) ... have any of you tried these and how hove your cleaners responded?
Via: Go Green Expo LINK
... "The control strategy of a typical coal-fired plant with supplemental solar power will require agility to keep everything running on an even keel. " ...Via Control Engineering: Coal with Solar
... "On average, for every watt of sunlight the particles reflect away from the Earth, another three watts of direct sunlight are converted to diffuse sunlight. Large power-generating solar plants that concentrate sunlight for maximum efficiency depend solely on direct sunlight and cannot use diffuse light. " ...Via National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Atmospheric Sunshade
... "Specifically, SDSU’s involvement in this project centers on the development of a suite of maximum power point tracking algorithms that could improve the way photovoltaic devices transfer the energy they generate from sunlight into electrical networks. PV Powered is developing a new maximum power point tracking algorithm that can be fed into a microcomputer inside the power converter on a solar array. That can better enable the solar array to operate at that maximum power point. SDSU’s role is first to define the mathematics that describe the behavior of the solar array. " ...Via South Dakota State University: New solar technologies ...
... "Demonstrating patterning over larger areas is a key goal for future work, Bao said. The team also hopes to study whether the technique could allow for more cost-effective fabrication of devices such as solar cell panels that use inorganic and organic micro- or nanowires. " ...Via Stanford University: Stanford, Samsung engineers make flexible electronics
... "The recipient of the award is chosen by a panel of commissioners composed of scientists and presidents of several solar energy-related professional societies, a representative of the U.S. Secretary of Energy, the past recipient and a member of the B?er family. Scheer, who has been a member of the German Parliament since 1980, was named president of EUROSOLAR in 1988 and was made chairperson of the World Council for Renewable Energy in 2001. " ...Via University of Delaware: Karl Boer Solar Energy Medal of Merit Award
... "By making thinner wafers, PV cell manufacturers can reduce the amount of silicon per wafer and lower the cost-per-watt of solar electricity. To produce thinner wafers, traditional wire saws must reduce the ingot length (load) and the cutting speed. The uniquely designed MaxEdge system delivers ultra-thin wafers without sacrificing throughput by enabling larger loads and using thinner wires at higher cutting speeds. " ...Via Applied Materials: Lower Solar Cell Cost through HCT MaxEdge Wire Saw
Aussie solar panels absorb more of the spectrum to increase conversion efficiency. ...
... "The pilot program at the university will demonstrate new production techniques that allow traditional panels to catch more light from the blue end of the spectrum, the short wavelengths. " ...Via Sydney Morning Herald: Solar panel captures more light
... "They also often ignore the fact that a mundane process such as heating water might best be carried out using direct heat from the sun rather than including a waste energy-conversion step. " ...Via Science Daily: Solar Water Heating
Want to support GREEN energy with your web site?
Check out CO2 stats ...
"CO2Stats is the only service that automatically calculates your website's total energy consumption, helps to make it more energy efficient, and then purchases audited renewable energy from wind and solar farms to neutralize its footprint carbon ..."
" ...Neutralize your site's carbon footprint with audited renewable energy.... With CO2Stats, your visitors can see live reports on your site's CO2 emissions.
Via: CO2stats LINK
Solar panels are a promising alternative energy solution ... VerandaSolar takes the basic concept and brings ease of installation for the average person to install themselves.
Read on for more on this interesting idea >>>
"Veranda Solar makes affordable ... solar panels that hang out your window or clip to gutters and balconies. ... easy installation saves you half the cost of traditional panels. ... snap together. Now you can make the decision to go solar and hook up your house, all in a single afternoon."
" ... was launched at Stanford University in spring of 2008 ... are currently in a start-up phase and hope to offer panels and flexible inverters on the market in spring of 2009. "
Via: Veranda Solar LINK
... "Fotowatio’s global portfolio will include more than 130 megawatts of operating solar projects in the United States and Spain and more than 1,000 megawatts under development across the United States, Spain and Italy. With no fuel cost or emissions, Fotowatio’s expanded portfolio will produce clean energy and avoid more than two million tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil fuel technology. " ...Via Business Wire: Fotowatio Aquires US Solar Business
... "Materialab, based out of Rensselaer, is working on integrated concentrated solar modules that are expected to convert 30 percent of the sun’s light into electricity and another 50 percent into heat. " ...Via Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Efficient energy research
Pacific Gas and Electric Company launches its five-year solar initiative that will target development of 500 megawatts of power from solar photovoltaics in north and central California. Half of the target power capacity will be utility-owned with the balance to be built and owned by independent developers. The plan is under review by the California Public Utilities Commission. ...
... "PG&E’s solar program targets mid-sized projects, typically one MW to 20 MW, mounted on the ground or rooftops, within its service area. Where feasible, projects developed and owned by PG&E would be built on land already owned by the utility or near its substations to minimize the cost and delays of interconnecting them to the power grid. Projects developed by independent parties would be offered a standard contract and pricing derived from the utility’s own costs to streamline review of their applications. Since 2002, PG&E has entered into contracts for more than 20 percent of its future electric power deliveries from renewable sources. On average, more than 50 percent of the electricity PG&E delivers to its customers comes from generating sources that emit no carbon dioxide, making the company’s energy among the cleanest in the nation. " ...Via Pacific Gas and Electric: 500 Megawatt Solar Power Initiative
... "The type of solar-panel roof Westphal is using -- known as integrated because the panels are built into the roof rather than superimposed -- is booming in France thanks to legislation creating 20-year contracts with strong incentives to sell electricity to the grid. " ...Via Reuters: French Solar Farmer
National Semiconductor plans to deliver a power optimizer, that will enable installers to navigate shade or low-sunlight levels when installing solar photovoltaic arrays on roofs. ...
... "Due to the characteristics of solar arrays, small amounts of shade (for example, shading of less than 10 percent of the surface area of a PV system) can lead to disproportionate power losses of more than 50 percent. National will introduce a technology later this spring which will allow installers and homeowners to embrace shade and recoup up to 50 percent of power losses associated with partial shading. Causes of shade include structural objects such as trees, chimneys and dormers, and intermittent debris including falling leaves, bird droppings and dust. In the case of structural shade, even correctly installed solar systems can be partially blocked from the sun at certain times of the day or during certain days of the year. " ...Via National Semiconductor: Shade is Photovoltaic Deal Killer
Researchers from academia and government labs are collaborating to identify photoactive materials that could be scaled to meet the world's future energy needs. Materials that are abundant would be the best candidates for the energy scalability necessary to transition to solar as the dominant alternative energy source for electricity. In order to be successful, we have to create and nurture a research portfolio of diverse and more abundant materials. ...
... "They showed that iron pyrite is several orders of magnitude better than any alternative on important metrics of both cost and abundance. " ...Via Science Daily: Materials for Low Cost Solar Photovoltaics
" ... SolFocus ... has signed an agreement in Greece to produce electricity from its concentrated solar arrays ... will produce 1.6 megawatts, enough to power 
about a town of about 2,500 residents at any given moment. ..."
" ... SolFocus, ... one of the leading companies in a race to validate concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology for utility use. ... the most common design uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto expensive, high-performance solar cells. Typically, they have mounting systems that track the sun over the course of the day.
" ... these arrays squeeze more electricity out of solar cells. SolFocus' 1100S ... concentrates the light 500 times, allowing it to convert 25 percent of sunlight into electricity."
Via: CNet News LINK
... "Trough designs can incorporate thermal storage - setting aside the heat transfer fluid in its hot phase - allowing for electricity generation several hours into the evening. Currently, all parabolic trough plants are hybrids, meaning they use fossil fuel to supplement the solar output during periods of low solar radiation. Typically a natural gas-fired heat or a gas steam boiler/reheater is used; " ...Via Sandia Labs, Dept of Energy: Concentrating Solar Power
Southern California Edison collaborates with BrightSource Energy to add 1,300 megawatts of solar thermal power capacity to its renewable energy portfolio. BrightSource brings the solar thermal technology to the project, which leverages thousands of mirrors that concentrate sunlight onto a boiler that produces high temperature steam. ...
... "The first of these solar power plants, sized at 100 megawatts and located in Ivanpah, Calif., could be operating in early 2013 and is expected to produce 286,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year. BrightSource will build and place in commercial operation each of its plants as quickly as permitting and infrastructure allow. The full 1,300 megawatts of projects will produce 3.7 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy and avoid more than two million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually – the equivalent of removing more than 335,000 cars from the road. " ...Via Southern California Edison: World’s Largest Solar Deal
Here's interesting situation ... Solar photovoltaics rely on the element indium, which has a supply constraint. Can we sustainably grow the production of solar panels to satisfy demand, given this constraint? ...
... "For high-power solar cells the issue boils down to a single element used in their manufacture: indium. While PV cells are manufactured a little like any other semiconductor device on a silicon frame, the power efficiency of silicon-only cells is pretty limited. " ...Via Fast Company: Renewable Energy Solar
Chinese Academy of Sciences creates solar research initiative to shift the balance of solar energy use in China. The Academy envisions a multi-decade development roadmap through 2050. ...
... "CAS had started to motivate its experts to make an action plan and to set up a platform to support the research in solar energy utilization. It aims to forge complete value chain including basic research, application research and market research. " ...Via Chinese Academy of Sciences: Photovoltaic Research Initiative
Princeton Univ installs solar power system on its Forrestal Campus library. ...
... "In November, crews began installing more than 5,000 photovoltaic panels covering 53,000 square feet of the roof. Wires from the panels lead to equipment in the building that converts the solar energy to AC energy. When the project is completed in early February, the arrays will have the capacity to produce 370 kilowatt-hours of power. " ...Via Princeton University: Solar energy
The State of Oregon is executing on its alternative energy strategies and is demonstrating leadership in the solar photovoltaic space. ...
... "After targeting solar and renewable energy over the past few years, the state clinched several projects in this niche, including Solar World in Hillsboro ... " ...Via Area Development: Oregon Set to Lead Nation
... "The researchers at Fraunhofer ISE have succeeded in overcoming this obstacle. They have managed to localize the defects in a region of the solar cell that is not electrically active. As a result, the active regions of the solar cell remain relatively free of defects – a prerequisite for achieving the highest efficiencies. " ...Via Fraunhofer Institute: World record efficiency reached for multi-junction solar cells at Fraunhofer
" ... uniquely interactive format and high caliber of participants, ECO:nomics debuted last year as the premier forum for CEOs and entrepreneurs driving growth at the intersection of business and the environment...."
Snippets of the Program ... "... Green People - What do consumers want, and what will they pay for it? ... Power Play - What will keep the lights on: nuclear energy or "clean coal"? ... Fresh Juice - Can wind and solar grow big enough to matter? ... The Future of Coal ... The Future of Biofuels ... The Future of Solar ..."
Via: eco-nomics LINK
China Technology Development Group Corporation and Qinghai New Energy Group will build a 30MW solar power station in the Qaidam Basin of northwestern China. ...
... "Under the agreement, CTDC and QNE will design, construct and manage the solar power station. The local government of Haixi Region will provide strong support to CTDC and QNE, such as helping them obtain various local and central government backed incentives and providing land. The installed power-generating capacity of the first phase of Qaidam solar power station come to 30 MW and the total long-term objective of the project up to 1GW. The Qaidam solar power station, the first of kind in China to integrate crystalline silicon and thin-film solar modules, will be the largest on-grid solar power station in China after fully completion. CTDC and QNE will begin construction of the project in 2009 with initial investment of US$ 150 million. " ...Via China Technology Development Group Corporation: 30MW On-Grid Solar Power Station
... using innovative optics ... SolFocus systems dramatically reduce the amount of expensive and often supply-constrained solar material used in the system."
"SolFocus CPV solar panels are the only CPV technology listed by the California Energy Commission as qualified for California Solar Initiative (CSI) incentives. ... panels are constructed primarily of readily available and cost-effective materials such as aluminum and glass resulting in systems which are over 95-percent recyclable. ...has a very low carbon footprint in manufacturing and short energy payback period. "
Via: SolFocus Link
Suntech Power will install the largest building integrated photovoltaic system, with a generating capacity of 3 Megawatts, by September 2009 for the World Expo Shanghai 2010. ...
... "The 3MW building integrated rooftop solar systems will be designed, developed and installed by Suntech's in-house system integration team. World Expo Shanghai 2010 will be held from May 1 - October 31, 2010 in Shanghai, China. " ...Via Suntech Power: China Solar Projects to Be Largest BIPV Installation
... "Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport has installed solar energy cells that will feed energy back to the state power grid. " ...Via Alamogordo Daily: Alamogordo airport
Colexon Energy implements world’s largest rooftop photovoltaic power plant using thin film solar modules. The installation has the capacity to generate 4.64 MW and is located in Hassleben (Brandenburg, Germany). ...
... "The plant will generate an estimated electrical power of 4.35 million kilowatt hours per year, which corresponds to an annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of more than 3,800 tons. Based on the current feed-in-tariff of 43,99 cent/kWh the installation will generate revenues of more than EUR 1.9 million per year. Next to the extremely quick installation of the power plant, another highlight during construction was the airlift of modules. Due to costs and efficiency, 10,000 of the total 64,000 First Solar solar modules to be installed were lifted to the roof by helicopter. With a roof area of approx. 224,000 sqm, this special way of module transport enabled enormous time savings. " ...Via COLEXON Energy: Largest rooftop PV power plant
Multiple New Jersey schools are planning for or implementing solar power generation from roof-top panels as a means of lowering operating costs and increasing their sustainability. Not every town is willing to make the investment, which in some cases requires an increase in taxes. ...
... "Solar energy systems operate in at least two area districts -- Clementon and Voorhees, which this year added a second panel at Voorhees Middle School. " ...Via Courier-Post: Solar panels on school rooftops
Rockefeller Center has solar powered lights on its huge tree. Just like last year the popular tourist attraction in NYC has solar powerred lights.
" ... the solar-powered Christmas tree ... is sending a good clean message to cities and towns far beyond the city limits ..."
Via: energyrefuge / godcleantech LINK
Continue reading "Rockefeller Center's Solar Powered Christmas Lights" »
" ... Christmas tree at 3rd and Poplar Streets in Northern Liberties [Philadelphia, Pa] is 40-feet-tall, and it's lit by solar panels ..."
" ... sponsored by the Northern Liberties Business Owners Association,... a nice twist for the neighborhood especially being a neighborhood developed by artists and folks that really focus on alternative methods ... after they're done with it, it will be chipped and used as mulch ..."
Via: KYW1060.com LINK
The Riverside Correctional Facility, part of the Philadelphia Prison System "... hopes to save money - and the environment - by using solar panels to provide hot water ...project will save about $1.1
million and 1 million pounds of carbon emissions over the anticipated 25-year life of the system."
" ... solar-powered system ... replaces traditional oil- and gas-fired water heaters. ... prison system and the mayor's Office of Sustainability provided about $665,000 for the project.
Via: CentreDaily.Com Link
Continue reading "Philadelphia Prison Installs Solar Panels for Hot Water" »
Southern California Edison achieves its first commercial rooftop solar photovoltaic installation in Southern California. The total planned rooftop generating capacity would offset the construction of a number of utility-scale solar power plants. ...
... "During recent months, the 600,000-square-foot Fontana, Calif., distribution warehouse roof selected as the first installation site has been fitted with 33,700 advanced thin-film solar panels making it the largest single rooftop solar photovoltaic array in California. The facility now generates enough power during peak output conditions to meet the needs of approximately 1,300 Inland Empire homes. " ...Via Southern California Edison: Commercial Rooftop Solar Installation
Continue reading "Large California Rooftop Solar Installation" »
"Santa Coloma de Gramanet, near Barcelona [Spain] , has placed 462 solar panels over its multi-storey mausoleums. ... the scheme was initially greeted with derision, but families who use the cemetery eventually supported the idea ... are now plans to erect more panels at the cemetery and triple the amount of electricity generated.
" ... installation cost 720,000 euros (£608,000) but will keep about 62 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year,
Via: BBC News Link
... "OPEL’s Mk-I HCPV panels concentrate the light from the sun more than 500 times and have conversion efficiencies up to twice that of conventional silicon solar panels and more than three times that of thin film solar panels. OPEL’s solar trackers can be used in conjunction with both concentrating panels, as well as with conventional silicon ones. When these trackers are used in conjunction with conventional silicon panels, the resulting electricity generation can be increased by as much as 40% with respect to conventional fixed panel installations. " ...Via Opel International: 9.5 kW Solar System
UCLA researchers, Yang and team, experiment with photovoltaic polymer material that improves solar cell efficiency. ...
... "Yang Yang, a professor of materials science and engineering, and colleagues describe the design and synthesis of a new polymer, or plastic, for use in solar cells that has significantly greater sunlight absorption and conversion capabilities than previous polymers. The research team found that substituting a silicon atom for carbon atom in the backbone of the polymer markedly improved the material's photovoltaic properties. This silole-containing polymer can also be crystalline, giving it great potential as an ingredient for high-efficiency solar cells. " ...Via UCLA: Polymer solar cells with higher efficiency
Continue reading "Polymer Solar Cells Increase Sunlight Absorption" »
... "In the next five years, solar energy will be an affordable option for you and your neighbors. Until now, the materials and the process of producing solar cells to convert into solar energy have been too costly for widespread adoption. But now this is changing with the creation of thin-film solar cells, a new type of cost-efficient solar cell that can be 100 times thinner than silicon-wafer cells and produced at a lower cost. These new thin-film solar cells can be printed and arranged on a flexible backing, suitable for not only the tops, but also the sides of buildings, tinted windows, cell phones, notebook computers, cars, and even clothing. " ...Via IBM: Future Innovations
Nanotechnology-derived antireflective coating is used to increase the absorption of sunlight by solar panels. ...
... "An untreated silicon solar cell only absorbs 67.4 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that nearly one-third of that sunlight is reflected away and thus unharvestable. From an economic and efficiency perspective, this unharvested light is wasted potential and a major barrier hampering the proliferation and widespread adoption of solar power. After a silicon surface was treated with Lin’s new nanoengineered reflective coating, however, the material absorbed 96.21 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that only 3.79 percent of the sunlight was reflected and unharvested. " ...Via RPI: Solar Power Near Perfect Absorption
Dynegy and EPRI will collaborate on testing the scalability of solar thermal power generation methods. ...
... "The study won’t involve construction of the solar equipment --- at least not yet --- but rather will examine the economics of using solar power to generate steam to spin turbines at Dynegy’s 578-megawatt Kingman, Ariz., plant. " ...Via Houston Chronicle: Solar Test
" ...the first solar panels have been installed on the Paul VI auditorium at the Vatican. ... BBC News reports Pope Benedict has become the first pontiff to harness solar power to provide energy for the Vatican."
"Roof tiles on the Paul VI auditorium, ... are being replaced by 2,700 solar panels ... photovoltaic cells ... generating enough power to light, heat or cool the 6,000 seat hall ..."
" .... When ... not in use, the surplus energy produced will reportedly be fed into the Vatican's power network."
Via: CathNews.com Link
In addition to Federal tax credits, grants, loans, etc ... many states and or local utilities offer programs to help homeowners get into solar, wind or geothermal energy.
" ... Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) funded by the U.S. Department of Energy."
" IREC's mission is to accelerate the use of renewable energy sources and technologies in and through state and local government and community activities...."
>>> Federal Programs LINK
>>> State Programs LINK
Via: DESIRE LINK
Energy Conversion Devices sees doubling of revenue on year over year basis and leverages good, old-fashioned operational excellence in its manufacturing facility to drive profitability. Sustaining profitability will enable the company to continue providing thin-film flexible solar products to the building integrated and commercial rooftop markets. ...
... "For example, our ongoing commitment to operational excellence enabled us to complete the retrofit of our Auburn Hills 1 facility quickly, while simultaneously ramping a new production line in Greenville ahead of schedule. These improvements elevated our productivity during the quarter and contributed to stronger than anticipated gross margins. " ...Via Energy Conversion Devices: Revenues Double in First Quarter of Fiscal 2009
Storing power generated by solar photovoltaics is one of the challenges facing our transition to alternative energy. Fuel cells, batteries, molten salt are all viable alternatives being considered for this purpose. Caltech researchers are exploring the use of nano-rods to catalyze the fuel cell chemistry - splitting water. ... ... "But there’s a bigger problem. Even if we had all the cheap photovoltaics we could ever need, we can’t store electricity in large quantities - you either use it or lose it. " ...Via Cal Tech: Quest for Catalysts, By Harry Gray
Suntech implements strategy to expand in the U.S. solar market by serving market segments with cost-effective photovoltaic solutions. ...
... "Suntech continues to invest in cost reduction technologies, the company is also increasing its efforts to seek out those balance-of-system components that best meet customer demand for a truly integrated offering. This vertical integration will enable Suntech to optimize solar system composition and performance, and drive down costs throughout the solar value chain. As a result of these initiatives, Suntech plans to triple sales to the U.S. in 2009. " ...Via Suntech: Major Initiatives to Significantly Expand Share
... "SolarWash attaches directly to an array of PV panels and is controlled by a microprocessor, providing PV system operators a turnkey cleaning solution without having to manually wash each panel. Solar PV is often hyped as requiring virtually no maintenance; when, in fact, PV installations need regular cleanings to maintain optimal performance. The accumulation of dirt on solar panels has a significant, detrimental impact on the performance of solar power systems. Dirt, however, is only part of the problem. PV system operators must also compete with the build]up of dust, tree debris, moss, sap, bugs, bird droppings, water spots, mold and more. " ...Via OCS Energy: SolarWash
... "Working with the non-profit organization Climate Cycle, the Motorola-funded solar panels will be installed by the end of this year. Part of a one- to two-kilowatt photovoltaic system, the solar panels come with a display showing how much power the panels are providing and when, offering real-time educational observation for the students. Along with daily observation, new lesson plans will include coursework on green and solar technologies, further driving student interest in the field. " ...Via Motorola: Chicago Public Schools
Professor Martin Green and his team at the ARC Photovoltaics Centre of Excellence at the University of New South Wales continue their research into high efficiency silicon solar cells, looking a alternate substrates to seek the best performance. ...
... "In the past two years, the High Efficiency Group at the Centre has been focusing on fabricating solar cells on n-type CZ silicon substrates, also completely avoiding boron dopant. PERT cells on CZ and FZ n-type silicon substrates, as shown above, have demonstrated high efficiencies of 21.1% and 21.9% " ...Via Centre for Photovoltaic Engineering, UNSW: High Efficiency Solar Cell Substrates
The Governator and Ausra's CEO launch solar thermal technology power plant in Bakersfield, California. Ausra is refining its technology through simplification and quick construction techniques. The Kimberlina facility was built in seven months. Solar thermal technology is comprised of large fields of mirrors that concentrate sun's heat on tubes of water creating steam. The steam drives power turbines to generate electricity. ...
... "At full output, Kimberlina will be able to generate 5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 3,500 homes in central California. The Kimberlina plant is the first solar plant in the country to utilize Ausra's next generation technology, and it is the first solar thermal power plant of any type built in California in nearly 20 years. " ...Via Ausra: Solar Thermal Plant in California
Continue reading "California Solar Thermal Generates Five Megawatts" »
Sharp commits to thin flim solar manufacturing capacity increase through new production line at its Katsuragi facility, bringing site capacity up to 160 mega-watts. Construction of its Sakai facility continues and this solar manufacturing capacity will come on-stream in 2010. The company plans on introducing its advanced thin-film solar products into the U.S. market. ...
Via Sharp: 2nd Generation Thin Film Solar Cells
... "The company’s rooftop concentration modules aim to be the market’s most efficient, and will deliver the highest total energy yield when integrated into complete rooftop systems. Compatible with conventional racks and inverters, its modules leverage high efficiency solar cells and integrated two-axis tracking to maximize the total energy harvest. This increased performance results in lower system costs, high energy density and corresponding high return on investment. Soliant plans to open a 40-megawatt production plant late next year. " ...Via GE: Solar Power Pioneer Soliant
"Applied Materials ... announced completion of two SunPower solar power systems totaling 2.1 megawatts at Applied Materials' corporate facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. ...the largest solar power deployment at a corporate facility in the United States."
" ... includes a 950 kilowatt SunPower PowerGuard(R) installation
and a 1.2 megawatt SunPower(R) Tracker installation atop an
elevated parking canopy. ... follows the sun as it moves across the
sky, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over
conventional fixed-tilt systems. Both systems use SunPower solar
panels, ... SunPower uses Applied Materials' Baccini technology in
its solar cell manufacturing process.
" ... reports that its solar installation has generated 1,413 megawatt hours of power. ... system is
expected to replace more than 2,700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, ... equivalent to
the annual carbon emissions from approximately 450 passenger cars."
Via: PRNewsWire Link
"TUV Rheinland’s collaboration will connect ASU’s PTL facility to the company’s global network. The new company substantially expands PTL’s testing capabilities in volume and scope by adding state-of-the-art test equipment, as well as the capacity to test and certify PV panels and electrical components for Europe, Asia and North America. "
Via Arizona State University: Solar facility
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter creates the Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC) in Colorado, where public-private colllaboration will develop and commercialize solar-energy technology. ...
... "Last year, a report on Colorado's renewable energy resources revealed that if Colorado developed just 2 percent of the land area in San Luis Valley and the area southeast of Pueblo with solar technologies, it has the potential to produce 26 gigawatts of capacity. Colorado's electric demand peaks at just over 11 gigawatts in the summertime. " ...Via State of Colorado: GOV. RITTER WELCOMES SOLARTAC
" ... world's first and only 100 percent solar-powered Web hosting company, has completed a massive data center consolidation initiative using IBM technology, resulting in a 60 percent reduction in overall power and cooling costs associated with the company's IT operations.
" ... AISO.Net worked ... to overhaul its data center and implement ... IBM's Cool Blue ... to increase their energy efficiency in the data center.
"
"For the past decade, AISO.Net has used solar power to power our data center and network, ... As a result of the tremendous growth in Web hosting ... were faced with the dilemma of how to remain true to our commitment to the environment and continue to see rapid, top-line growth. ... Data center consolidation through virtualization eased the strain on AISO.Net's solar panel system and helped ensure the company's 100 percent commitment to solar power. ... "
Via: IBM Link
... "The San Diego Solar Homes Tour is quite possibly the longest running and most popular tour in California. Celebrating our ninth year of the tour, over 40 homes throughout San Diego County are participating. " ...Via Solar Energy Week: Event Schedule
... "Successful development in wind energy has allowed B&B to acquire all the competencies and skills necessary along the solar value chain for a successful entrance (i.e., site identification, engineering, project management, procurement and project finance) " ...Via Babcock & Brown: European Renewable Energy Market (PDF)
Konarka Technologies opens its large-scale manufacturing plant in Polaroid's facility in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where its thin film solar material, Power Plastic, will be produced. ...
... "With this U.S. based manufacturing location, Konarka further expands its presence in Massachusetts and accelerates its aggressive plans to develop and commercialize its polymer-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) technologies worldwide. In addition to acquiring the fully automated roll-to-roll manufacturing line, the company has also hired the leading technology and process engineering teams from Polaroid, with plans to hire over 100 additional employees as production increases toward capacity over the next two to three years. Konarka’s advanced photovoltaic technology started with the work of the late Dr. Sukant Tripathy, an internationally known polymer materials scientist, provost at UMASS Lowell and founder of the Plastic Innovation Center and Dr. Alan Heeger, Konarka’s chief scientist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2000. " ...Via Konarka Technologies: Largest Roll-to-Roll Thin Film Solar Manufacturing Facility
Solyndra targets commercial rooftop market with new solar photovoltaic (PV) system that uses a cylinder shape to generate significantly more solar power. ...
... "Solyndra's panels employ cylindrical modules which capture sunlight across a 360-degree photovoltaic surface capable of converting direct, diffuse and reflected sunlight into electricity. This self-tracking design allows Solyndra's PV systems to capture significantly more sunlight than traditional flat-surfaced solar panels, which require costly tilted mounting devices to improve the capture of direct light, offer poor collection of diffuse light and fail to collect reflected light from rooftops or other installation surfaces. Conventional flat PV panels must be mounted at an angle and spaced apart for optimum energy production. The sunlight striking the spaces between the panels is not collected and thus is wasted. Solyndra's panels perform optimally when mounted horizontally and packed closely together, thereby covering significantly more of the available roof area and producing more electricity per rooftop on an annual basis than a conventional panel installation. " ...Via Solyndra: SOLAR PANELS FOR COMMERCIAL ROOFTOPS
... "Analysts agreed that a U.S. tax credit extension removes a key concern for solar investors. " ...Via Reuters: Solar stocks rally
... "The 40-kilowatt solar panels, the largest photovoltaic system on campus, were energized earlier this month with the flip of a switch that sent photovoltaic electricity flowing to the house and the PG&E grid. The 252 polycrystalline solar panels, manufactured by Evergreen Solar and installed by REC Solar, are mounted on the flat roof of a partially buried water tank (known as the San Juan Reservoir) near the house. The multiple levels and terraces of the historical house, built by Herbert Hoover and his wife in 1920, before he became president, make it impractical to place the panels there. The project is an example of smart sustainability that works both environmentally and financially, said Joe Stagner, Stanford sustainability czar. " ...Via Stanford: Presidential home goes solar
... "Shearburn recommends the solar hot water system as a good starting place because it's more affordable. Geothermal heat pumps are also affordable and provide the best savings with new construction or replacing an HVAC unit. " ...Via Huntsville Alabama Times: Solar Power Savings
... "Trina Solar supplied 20 MW of mono and multicrystalline solar modules of the total 26 MW required for this key project as part of the long-term arrangement between both companies. This PV plant consists of three phases: Fuente Alamo I, of 8MW; Fuente Alamo II, of 8MW; and Fuente Alamo III, of 10 MW, which are installed on a total of 62 sq ha of rural land. " ...Via Trina Solar: 26 MW PV PLANT IN MURCIA, SPAIN
... "For Soft House, Kennedy transformed household curtains into mobile, flexible energy-harvesting surfaces with integrated solid-state lighting. Soft House curtains move to follow the sun and can generate up to 16,000 watt-hours of electricity--more than half the daily power needs of an average American household. " ...Via MIT: Solar textiles
... "The solar photovoltaic (PV) project, which is situated in one of the highest areas of solar irradiation in Spain, is being built under a framework agreement between Santander Investment S.A., the equity arm of Grupo Santander, and BP Solar, which has already seen them construct eleven projects to date. Bank of Scotland is acting as sole mandated lead arranger on the transaction. BP Solar will be in charge of the operation and maintenance of the park guaranteeing a minimum energy production. Construction of the park started in mid-February and is scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2008. " ...Via Bank of Scotland: Solar deal with Santander and BP Solar
... "Three types of thin film modules are commercially available. These are manufactured from amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium diselenide and cadmium telluride. All of these technologies have active layers in the thickness range of less than a few microns. " ...Via GLASS ON WEB: Photovoltaics
... "The PV system will be operational at the end of September 2008 and is comprised of roughly 85,000 thin film solar panels that will be connected to Satcon PowerGate Plus Inverters. Once fully operationally, the solar installation will generate 10 MW of peak power output and 15.1 million kilowatt hours of power annually. " ...Via SatCon Technology: Largest Rooftop Photovoltaic Array
... "I’ve been working with Prof. Vladimir Bulovic in electrical engineering to put these quantum dots in both light-emitting devices as well as to look at solar photovoltaic applications, which is very a propos. " ...Via MIT: Prof. Bawendi's Student Advice
... "When complete, UC San Diego’s system will consist of 5,790 Kyocera KD205 solar modules that will be mounted on the Price Center, the Gilman parking structure and other buildings across the 1,200-acre campus. This system will contribute to the 29 million kilowatt hours per year of green energy that UC San Diego expects its overall efforts to produce, which is enough electricity to power more than 4,500 homes. UC San Diego’s program will offset approximately 10,500 tons of carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of removing 1,500 cars from the road every year. " ...Via Borrego Solar: 1.2 Megawatt Solar Electric System
... "The capacity of annually installed solar power systems would reach 281 GW by 2030. About 60% of this would be in the grid-connected market, mainly in industrialised countries. The total number of people by then covering their own electricity from a gridconnected solar system would reach 1,280 million. Although the key markets are currently located mainly in the industrialised world, a global shift will result in a significant share - about 20% or an annual market of 56 GW - being taken by the developing world for rural electrification in 2030. " ...Via European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA): Solar Generation V Report, PDF
year. ...
... "OptiSolar’s Topaz Solar Farm : The 550 MW Topaz Solar Farm project» would utilize relatively low-cost, thin-film PV panels designed and manufactured by OptiSolar in Hayward and Sacramento. Located in San Luis Obispo County, California, the project would deliver an average of 1,100,000 megawatt-hours annually of renewable electricity. The project is expected to begin power delivery in 2011 and be fully operational by 2013. " ...Via OptiSolar: Topaz Solar Farm 550 Megawatt Power Agreement
... "The audience learned that CPV, while not a new technology, is now coming into its own in the marketplace. All three companies are experiencing the same very positive customer response and looking forward to expansion of the CPV market. " ...Via Opel International: Canaccord Adams’ 28th Annual Global Growth Conference
... ... "The 104-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system - covering about 8,000 square feet and roughly the length of two football fields - will produce about 112,000 kilowatt hours a year, or 28 percent of the 400,000 kilowatt hours used to light the interchange. The $1.3 million project is expected to be completed and online in December 2008. Electricity for the highway interchange is provided by PGE and the added solar power will be handled through a net metering arrangement. The solar panels will produce electricity during the day, supplying power onto the PGE grid, and PGE will return an equivalent amount of power at night to light the interchange. " ...Via State of Oregon: Solar Highway Installation
... "Nocera and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera's lab, have developed an unprecedented process that will allow the sun's energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night. " ...Via MIT: Solar revolution
... "Net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 was $69.7 million or $0.85 per share on a fully diluted basis, compared to net income of $46.6 million or $0.57 per share on a fully diluted basis for the first quarter of fiscal 2008. Net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 was $44.4 million or $0.58 per share on a fully diluted basis, which included a one-time income tax benefit of $39.2 million that resulted from the reversal of valuation allowances against previously established U.S. deferred income tax assets. " ...Via First Solar: 2008 Second Quarter Financial Results
... "Yankun Liu, director of the Kunming Science Bureau, said the municipal government will put in place favorable policies and a special fund to encourage private sector participation in the city's solar energy-based infrastructure development. The fund, which will be included in the municipal government's annual budget, will particularly finance LED for public lighting, solar photovoltaic projects, and the propagation of energy saving projects. " ...Via Emerging-China: Kunming solar energy
Here is a bit of creativity ... recycling materials to make a solar hot water heater ...
"... beer bottles lie on a board in rows, all connected by hoses which allow cold water to flow through them and be heated by the sun."
"“I invented this for my mother. I wanted h
er to shower at any time more comfortably,” says Ma Yanjun, a carpenter, of Qiqiao village, Shaanxi Province."
For details to MAKE YOUR OWN check this LINK
Via: TerraPass Link
... "Sempra Generation will be the developer for the project, and will own and operate the PV power plant once completed. Construction began in July, and the 10 MW PV power plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The solar modules to be deployed in this ground-mount project will be produced at First Solar's manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio. " ...Via First Solar: 10 MW Solar PV Power Plant
... "This revolutionary solar cell technology provides a platform for EMCORE's next generation photovoltaic products for space and terrestrial solar power applications. Solar cells built using IMM technology recently achieved world record conversion efficiency of 33% used in space, and it is anticipated that efficiency levels in the 42%-45% range will be achieved when adapted for use under the 500-1500X concentrated illumination, typical in terrestrial concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems. Once commercialized, the CPV systems that are powered with EMCORE's IMM based products will see a reduction in the cost of power generated by approximately 10% to 20%. EMCORE expects to commercialize this technology for both space and terrestrial applications in 2009. Developed in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Vehicle Systems Directorate of the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the IMM design is comprised of a novel combination of compound semiconductors that enables a superior response to the solar spectrum as compared to conventional multi-junction architecture. Due to its unique design, the IMM cell is approximately one fifteenth the thickness of the conventional multi-junction solar cell and will enable a new class of extremely lightweight, high-efficiency, and flexible solar arrays for space applications. " ...Via EMcore: Inverted Metamorphic Multi-junction Solar Cell Technology
The 23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition is taking place in Valencia Spain, Sept 1 - 5, 2008.
" ... will be the most important international Conference in the field of Photovoltaics. ...wlll provide an excellent platform for dialogue and information exchange across the World. The ‘who is who’ of the PV solar branch will meet at Valencia to discuss the latest developments in science and industry"
Topic areas include ...
"ADVANCED PHOTOVOLTAICS, WAFER-BASED SILICON SOLAR CELLS AND MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY, THIN FILMS, COMPONENTS FOR PV SYSTEMS, PV SYSTEMS, PV DEPLOYMENT"
Continue reading "Solar Energy Conference in Spain: Sept 1 - 5 2008" »
... "The 5X concentrator is based on several innovative proprietary technologies: 5X~7X solar concentrator design, High temperature, ultra clear encapsulant, TRAXLE solar tracker, Bifacial concentrator solar cell, and PV panel cooling ... " ...Via Poulek Solar: Solar concentrators
... "rather than covering a roof with expensive solar cells (the semiconductor devices that transform sunlight into electricity), the cells only need to be around the edges of a flat glass panel. In addition, the focused light increases the electrical power obtained from each solar cell by a factor of over 40 ... " ...Via MIT: Solar energy using windows
Toyota may add solar cells totheir curent Prius hybrid .. truth or rumor it is an intersting idea.
Read on for details >>> 
" ... solar panels on some models of its popular Prius hybrid car, according to news reports Monday. The panels, made by Kyocera, would help power the air conditioner."
"Details are sketchy. ... Nikkei financial newspaper of Japan and the Reuters international news service reported the story ... Toyota refused to confirm or deny the reports ..."
It is questionable how much power solar cells can provide for a car but there is some possibility ... " solar could still prove useful for running electric auxiliaries. ... run a small ventilation fan while the car was parked during the day. That would keep the car cabin from turning into an inferno that the air conditioner would struggle to cool once the driver returned."Via: SFGate Link
... "For typical glass panels, depending on the time of day 4% to 15+% of the incoming light is lost from reflections and thus, is not available to generate electricity. Applying an anti-reflective coating to the cover glass of the module will reduce these reflections and increase the module’s output power. " ...Via XeroCoat: Anti-Reflective Coatings Technology
Continue reading "Increase Solar Efficiency with Anti-Reflective Coating" »
... "Together, the three sites will prevent the release of nearly 3.5 million tons of greenhouses gases over the life of the projects, which is the equivalent of removing 25,000 cars from the road per year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, photovoltaic solar systems, which convert sunlight directly to electricity, consume no fuel, use no water, and produce no waste. Solar thermal systems, which use the power of the sun to produce electricity from steam, use no fossil fuel, no additional cooling water and produce zero greenhouse gas emissions. The 110 megawatts of photovoltaic solar and solar thermal power announced by FPL today is in addition to 250 megawatts of solar thermal power announced by FPL Energy on March 26. Together, the projects will dramatically extend FPL Group's lead as the world's No. 1 producer of solar energy. FPL Group is also the nation's No. 1 producer of wind power. " ...Via Florida Power & Light: New solar energy generation capacity
Continue reading "Florida Solar Photovoltaic Capacity Planned" »
... "Two key factors position Saflex to be the leading encapsulant supplier to the thin-film solar panel market. The first is technology: our advanced third-generation chemistry and material science is effective and stable for use with coated glass and is proven to be durable in applications where the edges of the laminate are exposed to the elements. The second is capacity: no other interlayer provider is investing in new PVB capacity at the rate of Saflex. " ...Via Solutia: Photovoltaic Will Become Third Major Market for Saflex
... "Today’s solar installations are disproportionately impacted by non-uniformities, caused by shading, panel mismatches or dirt accumulation. For example, a small amount of shading in the array can cut the energy harvest of a system in half. This significantly limits the energy output, design and location of typical residential solar installations. Shading conditions can even invalidate local utility and governmental incentives, making certain installations cost-prohibitive. National’s SolarMagic technology recoups up to 50 percent of the lost energy thereby minimizing the economic impact of shading and other real-world conditions. " ...National Semiconductor Enters Photovoltaic Market
... "enXco will own and operate the system and supply the project's output to Hall's Corporation under a Power Purchase Agreement on a net-metering basis. enXco will begin construction shortly and expects the project will produce energy in early November 2008. The roof mounted fixed tilt solar array, to be built on Hall's Warehouses located on Kentile Road, will consist of approximately 25,000 First Solar modules deployed from EDF EN's global supply agreement with First Solar. 1.3 MW will be installed at the 501 Kentile Road facility with the remaining panels on 601 Kentile Road. The installation is estimated to save Hall's Corp. $1 million in energy costs over the life of the project. The project will qualify for New Jersey Renewable Energy Credits which are essential to the economics of the project. " ...Via enXco: 1.8 MW Solar Project Power Purchase Agreement
Florida is called the sunshine state and utility Florida Power and Light is making good use of the sunshine ... 
Read on for more >>>
June 25, 2008 - Miami, Florida "... today announced new solar energy projects that include the world’s largest photovoltaic solar plant and first “hybrid” energy center, coupling solar thermal technology with an existing combined-cycle generation unit."
“Pending regulatory approval, ... 110 megawatts of solar power ... making Florida No. 2 in the nation for solar energy... ,”
Including previously announced projects ... these are:
"The Solar Ark, a unique, ark-shaped, solar photovoltaic power generation facility, offers activities to cultivate a better appreciation of solar power generation, and thereby of both ecology and science. ... is located in Gifu Prefecture, ... of Japan ..." 
" ... at the center of the Solar Ark is the Solar Lab, a museum of solar energy and one of the more unusual museums in the world. ..."
"Since the Solar Ark was created, we have accumulated data on the power-generating performance of the photovoltaic system. At the photovoltaic conference in Europe, the thesis we delivered analyzing that data received an excellent response ..."
Via: Solar Ark Link
... "Covering five acres, the 1-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) solar array will feature SunPower Tracker solar tracking systems. The Tracker tilts toward the sun as it moves across the sky, increasing energy capture by up to 25 percent over fixed systems while reducing land-use requirements. SAS’ solar farm is estimated to generate 1.7 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 1,600 tons annually. This is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of more than 167,000 gallons of gasoline. " ...Via SAS: 1-megawatt solar power farm
... "Self-Reliance is offering a 40-hour installation course for those looking for hands-on training with photovoltaic technology. The course will run from 6 - 9 pm on July 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 and from 9 am to 5 pm on July 12 and 19. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of photovoltaic system design and installation procedures. The class will be divided between indoor classroom activities and fieldwork ... " ...Via Cape & Islands Self-Reliance: PV Installation Workshop June 2008
... "The project, which will be built in the Lancaster area of California, is expected to begin delivering energy in 2011, with a total of 105 megawatts of renewable solar power by 2012, ramping up to 245 megawatts by 2013. Each pre-fabricated module consists of several solar towers each associated with thousands of heliostats, or mirrors. The mirrors precisely track the sun over the course of the day and reflect light to a receiver at the top of each tower. The concentrated light boils water in a central receiver, routing the steam to a traditional turbine to produce electricity. eSolar's solar thermal technology is unique in that it uses shorter towers, small mass-manufactured mirrors and advanced tracking software, achieving economies of scale within a minimal footprint and easy connection to transmission lines. " ...Via Southern California Edison: eSolar Solar Power Tower
... "The Management Board of ersol AG welcomes the proposed transaction and considers Bosch to be an excellent partner for the continued successful development of the Thuringian photovoltaic company. At the announcement of the transaction Dr Claus Beneking, CEO of ersol Solar Energy AG said he will be retiring from the Management Board of ersol AG for personal reasons in the next few months. " ...Via ersol Solar Energy AG: Sale of majority stake in ersol
Solio offers a line of solar chargers for smaller electronics like cell phones, GPS, cameras, etc. The California based company has some cool looking designs that offer solar charging or the aa
bility to plug into the wall and when charged act as a battery (replaceable).
"Solio features a fan-blade design that allows it to achieve maximum solar area when in use. Just spread out the blades, expose them to direct sunlight either out of doors or affixed to a window, and get ready to take your power on the road."
Via: Solio Link
Continue reading "Solar Powered Charger Phones and other Small Electronics" »
... "The solar panels for these two contracts will be manufactured at the company's Devens, Massachusetts facility, which will begin panel production in July, and represent approximately 35 percent of the expected 160MW of annual production capacity at Devens through 2013. In addition to these two new contracts, Evergreen Solar has six other customer contracts with a current total backlog of approximately $850 million, which will primarily be supplied by EverQ, its German-based joint venture. " ...Via Evergreen Solar: Sales Contracts of Approximately $1 Billion
... "Addressing these needs and concerns, the Alternative Energy Banner Center will offer two core programs in photovoltaic (solar electricity) and solar thermal (solar hot water and pool heating) technologies. Both programs will be designed for students at any level, regardless of previous skill level. The results from the initial program offerings will be analyzed and used as feedback to update and finalize the curriculum. After the first year, the plan will be expanded and offered throughout Florida at other community colleges and technical centers. " ...Via The University of Central Florida: Alternative Energy Training Program
Continue reading "Alternative Energy Education Programs Focus on Solar Technologies" »
energy into 70 watts of usable electrical power. The results have seen about five times the electrical power density of typical solar cells, using this concentrator technology in solar farms. ...
... "The trick lies in IBM's ability to cool the tiny solar cell. Concentrating the equivalent of 2000 suns on such a small area generates enough heat to melt stainless steel, something the researchers experienced first hand in their experiments. But by borrowing innovations from its own R&D in cooling computer chips, the team was able to cool the solar cell from greater than 1600 degrees Celsius to just 85 degrees Celsius. " ...Via IBM: Breakthrough In Solar Farm Technology
Continue reading "Liquid Metal Solar Photovoltaic Concentrator" »
California based Bio Solar has a different slant on making solar cells ... rather than focusing on improving the efficiency they focus on reducing the cost and using non petroleum based materials.
Read on for more ... >>>
" ...developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of solar cells. ... is the first company to introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing petroleum-based plastic solar cell components with durable bio-based components."
"... BioSolar materials can be used directly in conventional manufacturing systems, such as injection molding and thin-film roll-to-roll, to create superstrate layer, substrate layer, backsheet as well as module and panel components."
" ... using crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or other solar technologies, BioSolar can help reduce the cost per watt through the use of its lower cost bio-based materials."
"By removing petroleum from solar cells, BioSolar makes solar energy a true green source of energy."
Via: Bio Solar Link
Nokia has an intersting "concept" phone that incorporates some green thinking ... 
Read on for more >>>
" ... two parts – a wearable sensor unit which can sense and analyze your environment, health, and local weather conditions, and a dedicated mobile phone. "
"... sensor ... made from solar cells that provide power to the sensors. ..."
" ...phone and the sensor unit will be as compact as possible to minimize material use, and those materials used in the design will be renewable and/or reclaimed. Technologies used inside the phone and sensor unit will also help save energy."
Via: Nokia Link
Continue reading "Nokia Eco Sensor Concept Phone -- Looking Green!" »
"Exelon Generation Company, LLC, has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Epuron LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies, to buy energy produced at a new solar energy facility located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard."
" ... solar power project is expected to produce roughly one megawatt of power, or enough energy for 200 homes, by the first quarter of 2009."
Exelon and Epuron have collaborated together before ... " ... In August 2007, the pair—in conjunction with Waste Management Inc.—announced the construction of the nation’s fourth largest solar photovoltaic (PV) generation project, ... at the WMI site in Fairless Hills. ... approximately 17,000 panels to capture the sun’s rays and convert them into three megawatts of electricity, or enough power for 2,400 homes."
Via: Exelon Link
Iqua has created and marketed the first Solar powered Bluetooth Headset.
" ... first solar-powered Bluetooth headset in the world. ... has got a photovoltaic cell that uses any available light - outdoors and indoors - to charge itself and extend the operation times of the headset ..."
" ... Iqua SUN to be selected as an “Innovations 2008 Design and Engineering Award” honoree in the Wireless Handsets Accessories product category. ..."
Via: Iqua.com Link
... "The University now buys 10 percent of its electrical power from renewable sources - mostly wind and biogas energy - through the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation's NatureWise program. Mary Ann Cofrin Hall on campus also uses solar power to generate electricity for the building and incorporates other energy-saving technologies. Special roofing materials and a thin film of photovoltaic material in the glass of the Wintergarden Atrium produce the electricity. " ...Via The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay: Sierra Club Honor
... "Designed to address the complex issues surrounding large or utility-scale power projects, eSolar’s distributed solar thermal plants achieve economies of scale at 33 MW, and are modularly scaled to fit the needs of large and small utilities. eSolar has replaced expensive steel, concrete, and brute force with inexpensive computing power and elegant algorithms. Centering on eSolar’s 33 MW pre-fab form-factor, the company’s modular design translates to minimal land requirements. The company’s solar power plant solutions are tailored to fit local resources and produce a low environmental footprint, favoring a straightforward siting and permitting process. eSolar has secured land rights in the southwest United States to support the production and transmission of over 1 GW of power. eSolar will have a fully operational power plant later this year in southern California. " ...Via eSolar: Breakthrough Pre-Fabricated Solar Power Plants
... "The Department of Energy’s SAI program, which took form at the request of President George W. Bush, aims to make solar energy cost-competitive with more conventional forms of electricity. The program has the goal of bringing solar energy’s price down to the 5 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour range by 2015. The ASU grant is one of 11 awarded to university-industry teams in this round of funding. " ...Via Arizona State University: Photovoltaic Testing Lab gets solar grant
... "The Pitt team found that the hollow, soccer-ball-shaped carbon molecules known as fullerenes can hold and transfer an electrical charge much like the most highly conductive atoms, explained project head Hrvoje Petek, a professor of physics and chemistry in Pitt's School of Arts and Sciences and codirector of Pitt's Petersen Institute for NanoScience and Engineering. The research was performed by Pitt post-doctoral associates Min Feng and Jin Zhao. When an electron was introduced into a fullerene molecule, the shape of the electron distribution mimicked that of a hydrogen atom or an atom from the alkali metal group, which includes lithium, sodium, and potassium. Moreover, when two fullerenes were placed next to each other on a copper surface, they showed the electron distribution of their chemical bond and appeared as H2, a hydrogen molecule. The assembly exhibited metal-like conductivity when the team extended it to a wire 1-molecule-wide. " ...Via University of Pittsburgh: Breakthrough in Nanotechnology: Conductive Property of Carbon-based Molecules
Farm-Way of Bradford, Vermont is a family business - family owned and operated.
They have also decided to make an investment in solar panels. "Farm-Way and Vermont Gear have pledged over $400,000 in solar panels to “ Gro Solar” company in White River Jct Vermont. We will be generating approximately 60 KW of power, which is equivalent to 43% of our electrical power consumption. ..."
" ... our system will allow our local electrical service to avoid 76,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year , ... reductions from the utility power annually of NOX @ 84 pounds and sulfur dioxide @200 pounds."
" ... will ... monitor at our entryway and also linking our web site to the data and output information in real time, ... continually updated views of the systems output and easily understood information on the benefits of solar."
Via: EcoWorks - Vermont Gear Link
... "It is a power tower, a little bit like a water tank on stilts surrounded by hundreds of mirrors that tilt on two axes, one to follow the sun across the sky in the course of the day and the other in the course of the year. In the tower and in a tank below are tens of thousands of gallons of molten salt that can be heated to very high temperatures and not reach high pressure. " ...Via New York Times: Store Solar Energy
... "California's solar energy market grew more than 57 percent last year, and is expected to grow at an even higher rate in 2008. With its acquisition of a geographically desirable company, PermaCity is positioning itself to better serve the Southern California market. PermaCity Solar, Inc. is a leading system developer and integrator of state-or-the-art photovoltaic systems specializing in high-quality, long life performance." ...Via PermaCity Solar: Los Angeles Solar Panel Installer Ups the Ante
... "Hoku Solar had previously completed the installation of two turnkey PV power systems for Paradise Beverages at its Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii, and Lihue, Kauai, facilities. Paradise Beverages is the Hawaii distributor for Heineken, Coors and Miller products, and it consumes a significant amount of electricity to operate its refrigerated and temperature-controlled warehouses. Upon completion of the Oahu facility installation, the aggregate of all three PV power systems for Paradise Beverages includes 350 kilowatts of PV panels, which are expected to produce over 525,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. " ...Via Hoku Scientific: Hoku Solar Enters Into New Contract With Hawaii's Heineken, Coors and Miller Beer Distributor
... "During her PhD, Annemarie Huijser attempted a partial recreation in solar cells of this process as found in plants. She focused on what are known as dye-sensitised solar cells. These comprise a semiconductor, such as titanium dioxide, covered with a layer of dye. The dye absorbs energy from sunlight, which creates what are known as excitons. These energy parcels then need to move towards to the semiconductor. Once there, they generate electric power. " ...Via Delft University of Technology: Cheap solar cell process
... "Yes! Solar Solutions has taken an innovative retail approach to making PV solar energy more accessible to homeowners and businesses. As the Company continues to roll out its franchise plan, it will seek to centrally locate additional retail franchise operations within communities where economic factors, like higher energy costs, make solar power alternatives attractive. Like the Roseville, California store, future Yes! energy outlets will be designed to educate consumers and businesses on the economic and environmental benefits of solar power and provide solutions that will help them reduce their electricity costs. " ...Via Yes! Solar: Southern California Franchise
... "Beefed-up state and federal incentives make building solar almost irresistible. A business can recoup an investment in a million-dollar array in five years, then post thousands of dollars annually in electricity savings. " ...Via RedOrbit: Tax Breaks for Solar Power
... "A recent study showed that the solar heating systems operating since 2005 at Tal-Ftieh each saved an average of 1,850 kWh of energy and 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, excluding summer. " ...Via Times of Malta: Energy-saving apartments
... "Solar photovoltaic panels generate more power on summer afternoons when the sun is shining most intensely, which is also when the value of electricity is higher for most U.S. electricity systems, Borenstein noted. " ...Via Univ of California at Berkeley, Haas School of Business: Cloudy outlook for solar panels
" ... toward the goal of creating a building that functions like a home and serves as a laboratory ... will provide an exemplary model and testing environment of an improved approach to home life while specifically improving the lives of the individuals inhabiting the house."
The sSmart House will focus research on 5 Areas:
Via: Drexel University SmartHouse Link
Seeking to show that they can be both innovative and integrate traditional practices ... Abu Dhabi is planning aGREEN city in the desert.
" ... the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) launched a $5 billion initiative to establish the world's first totally green city ... "
" ... six square kilometres plans to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions and zero waste ..."
" ... completion by late 2009, ... part of a series of projects adopted by the emirate recently to curb the greenhouse gas effect on the climate."
Abu Dhabi also plans a 100-megawatt solar power plant. ... expandable to 500 mega-watts, with a target to generate enough power for 500,000 households ..."
"According to United Nations statistics, the UAE ranks 43rd among polluters."
Via: Gulf News Link
Solar panels are becoming more common; almost mainstream.
What is now needed is a way to boost the efficiency or redue the manufacturing cost.
"Nanosolar is a global leader in solar power innovation. ... setting the standard for affordable green power with solar cell technology of distinctly superior cost efficiency, versatility, and availability."
"Leveraging ... nanostructured materials, we have developed a critical mass of engineering advances that profoundly change the cost efficiency and production scalability of solar electricity cells and panels."
Via: Nanosolar.com Link
... "First Solar Inc., a Phoenix-based solar module manufacturer with a design center in Ohio and a big manufacturing plant in Germany, announced spectacular quarterly numbers. " ...Via ABC News: Solar Companies
... "This year’s teams have been selected from universities in the United States, Canada, and Germany and each team will receive $100,000 from DOE to uniquely design, build and operate an energy efficient, fully solar-powered home for this unique competition. Each home will utilize energy efficient technology and demonstrate that homes powered entirely by the sun do not have to sacrifice all the modern comforts and aesthetics Americans are accustomed to. The Department's Solar Decathlon complements the President's Solar America Initiative, which seeks to make solar power cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015. " ...Via Department of Energy: Student Teams Selected
Investments in Berlin research park are positioned to pay off as solar technology benefits from a 
strong collaboration between industry, academia, and research centers. ...
... "Lips said Adlershof is a solar scientist's paradise, due to the close proximity of research and industry, and the unique, open dialogue and collaboration that exists between the two. " ...
Via Deutsche Welle: Solar Tech Berlin
Hahn-Meitner Institute: "The Hahn-Meitner Institute (HMI) is a scientific research institute which focuses on two main areas of work: structural and solar energy research. "
... "Thin film is cheaper to produce, more durable and less unsightly than bulky solar panels, which are often called eyesores. The transparent sheets can serve as facades for skyscrapers and house roofs, where they turn sunshine into energy." ...Via Los Angeles Times: Future of solar
... "The Eni-MITEI Solar Frontiers Research Program will include six areas of focus: Nano-structured thin film photovoltaics; Luminescent solar concentrators; Self-assembling photovoltaic materials; Water splitting; Materials for solar energy capture and storage; Maximizing the return on investment for solar thermal plants; " ...Via MIT News: Advanced solar program
Continue reading "Collaborative Solar Technology Research Program Targets Advanced Capabilities" »
... "The two new grants in the latest SAI round are geared toward advancing new materials that can be used in photovoltaic solar cells, with a goal of having prototypes developed by 2015 and commercialized by 2020 to 2030. One SAI grant, for $1.3 million, will go to a team led by John Kouvetakis, a professor in chemistry and biochemistry, and Jose Menendez, a professor in physics. The project will explore the photovoltaic potential of new materials that originally were developed for laser applications. The project promises dramatic cost reductions compared to current technologies. " ...Via Arizona State University: Grants to develop solar cells
Continue reading "Future-Gen Solar Material Research Funding for Photovoltaics" »
... "Our research centers around determining ways to make solar cells last longer and to manufacture them at a lower cost. We expose solar materials to heat and humidity while monitoring their performance as a function of time. " ...Via YourHub: Q & A with NREL scientist
... "scientists on their Nano Photovoltaics (PV) team have demonstrated a scalable silicon nanowire-based solar cell, which has the potential to achieve up to 18% efficiency and be produced at a dramatically lower cost than conventional solar cells. This demonstration represents a promising development in the effort to make PV systems more economically viable for consumers. " ...Via General Electric: GE Global Research Demonstrates Nano-based Solar Cell
Continue reading "Scalable LowCost Nanowire Solar Photovoltaic Cell Innovation" »
... "Spains Institute of Concentration Photovoltaics Systems (ISFOC) announced the installation of the first CPV array in the ISFOCs 3 MW project in Castilla-LaMancha. This is the first 200kW of the .5MW that SolFocus will install over the next few months for this worldwide solar initiative aimed at accelerating the development and adoption of CPV technology. We share the belief with the ISFOC leadership that CPV is the disruptive technology that will have a major impact in moving solar energy toward a more cost-effective and scalable mainstream energy source, commented Pedro Ladrn de Guevara, SolFocus VP and General Manager. " ...Via SolFocus: Solar Array for 3 MW Spanish CPV Project at Castilla-La Mancha Site
... "The award highlighted the revolutionary SunFab, the worlds first and only integrated production line for manufacturing thin film silicon solar modules using 5.7 square meter (m2) glass panels. These ultra-large substrates, sized at 2.2m x 2.6m, are four times bigger than todays typical thin film solar modules. Key to the SunFabs success is that it can be replicated by customers around the globe to rapidly establish solar panel manufacturing capacity and achieve lower production cost per watt to drive down the cost of solar electricity. " ...Via Applied Materials: Green Energy Innovator of the Year
"The Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn has just installed a 76,000-sq-ft solar roof, ... touted to be “one of the most sustainable mass transportation sites ever built in the U.S.,”..."
" ... 2,730 building integrated photovoltaic panels that create a shelter ... panels are each 5′ by 20′, made of silicon thin-film, which is less costly to install than other solar panels because it requires minimal framing. 
"... providing 250,000 kilo-watt hours of power to the station each year, ... and ... the transparent roof of panels that lets in plenty of natural light."
Via: Inhabitat Link
Antarctica is probably one of the last pure pristine place on earth. It is also home to the Belgian research station Princess Elizabeth, in Utsteinen, Antarctica.
Can the two exist in harmony? Can a research station be GREEN?
Read on for more >>>
"... will use only 20% of the energy used by a comparable station. Heating will be done via a mixture of passive and active systems, including a heat recovery system ..."
Via: Inhabitat Link
... "Combining these two approaches appears to yield better solar cell materials than either one alone does, according to Jin Zhang, professor of chemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Zhang led a team of researchers from California, Mexico, and China that created a thin film doped with nitrogen and sensitized with quantum dots. When tested, the new nanocomposite material performed better than predicted - as if the functioning of the whole material was greater than the sum of its two individual components. The resulting hybrid material offered a combination of advantages. Nitrogen doping allowed the material to absorb a broad range of light energy, including energy from the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The quantum dots also enhanced visible light absorption and boosted the photocurrent and power conversion of the material. When compared with materials that were just doped with nitrogen or just embedded with cadmium selenide quantum dots, the nanocomposite showed higher performance ... " ...Via University of California at Santa Cruz: New nanostructured thin film
"GE Energy Financial Services, PowerLight Corporation and Catavento Lda ... will build the world's largest solar photovoltaic power project. The 11-megawatt solar power plant, comprising 52,000 photovoltaic modules, ... in Serpa, Portugal, ... one of Europe's sunniest areas."
"... will produce electricity sufficient to power 8,000 homes and save more than 30,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions compared with equivalent fossil fuel generation."
"... PowerLight's PowerTracker(R) ...patented tracking technology follows the sun ... generating more electricity than conventional fixed-mount systems. "
Via: RenewableEnergyAccess Link
Continue reading "Portugal to Build World's Largest Solar Powr Plant" »
... "The U.S. is lucky to be endowed with a vast resource; at least 250,000 square miles of land in the Southwest alone are suitable for constructing solar power plants, and that land receives more than 4,500 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of solar radiation a year. " ...Via Scientific American: Solar Plan
will achieve elimination of 8.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions in its initial year of operation. ...
... "GE Energy Financial Services is acquiring a majority equity interest in the five solar photovoltaic projects, which SunPower will design and build, operate and maintain. GE Energy Financial Services will finance and own the systems under the SunPower Access power purchase agreement program, which allows customers to take advantage of the environmental and financial benefits of solar power with no upfront capital costs. The solar electricity will be competitively priced against retail rates, providing customers a long-term hedge against rising peak power prices. Construction of the projects is scheduled to begin in February and be completed by the end of the year. " ...Via GE Energy: CALIFORNIA SOLAR PROJECTS
... "The terms of the Licensing Agreement authorize Suntech to distribute Andalay in Europe, Japan and Australia commencing in January 2008. This Licensing Agreement is in addition to Suntech's previous agreement to manufacture Andalay solar panels. Andalay solar-panel technology was envisioned by Akeena's CEO, Barry Cinnamon, after years of rooftop solar installation experience and customer feedback. Andalay improves on conventional solar panels by including built-in wiring, grounding and racking designed to provide maximum rooftop performance for consumers while minimizing installation costs for solar system installers. The result is a rooftop solar power system with superior built-in reliability with outstanding aesthetics in an all-black, streamlined appearance ... " ...Via Akeena Solar: New Solar Panel Technology Licensed
Continue reading "Solar Panel Technology Licensed for Distribution in Europe Japan Australia" »
... "A latticework of flexible pipes, held in place by a grid, is covered over by asphalt, which magnifies the sun's thermal power. As water in the pipes is heated, it is pumped deep under the ground to natural aquifers where it maintains a fairly constant temperature of about 68 F. " ...Via Yahoo: Asphalt Energy
... "The Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator is the next step in this commitment, giving university spin-off businesses and alternative energy companies who want to collaborate with the university a place to nurture and grow into stable, expanding businesses ... " ...Via University of Toledo: Business Incubator
... "The PV array, completed earlier this month, will supply Nellis with more than 30 million kilowatt-hours of clean, environmentally friendly electricity a year. The array is expected to supply the base with more than 25 percent of the total power used by the base population, roughly 12,000 people. More than 72,000 solar panels, which contain nearly 6 million solar cells, were constructed by Sunpower Corp. on 140 acres of Nellis land. Many of the panels, which track the sun across the sky, were constructed on top of a capped landfill. The plant is estimated to save the Air Force $1 million annually and should reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 tons annually, which is equivalent to removing 185,000 cars from the roadways. This is one of the largest of the Air Force's "green" initiatives to date ... " ...Via Nellis Air Force Base: The Nations Largest Photovoltaic Array
Continue reading "Largest Solar Photovoltaic Array is Active at Air Force Base" »
Chemical engineering professor at UCDavis receives Department of Energy research grant to investigate methods to create thin film solar panels from organic polymers so that low cost photovoltaics can be manufactured. ...
... "Moule is studying ways to assemble thin layers of organic polymers -- essentially, plastics -- into a flexible panel, similar to a laminated poster. ... Moule is developing a method to deposit a series of very thin layers using a temporary, removable protective layer. He will also use computer modeling to study the effect of adding multiple thin layers to the device. If the technique is successful, Moule expects to produce simple two-layer devices within 18 months to two years. " ...
Via University of California Davis: Solar Research Grant
China's Suntech Poower Co, Ltd is becoming a power player in Solar Cells. It is a leader in both cvapacity and solar outbut ...
Read on to learn more about why sun power and solar cells are important to the future power needs of the world ... 
Via: Suntech Power Co, Ltd. Link
Continue reading "China Becomes a Leader in Solar Cells - Suntech Power Co, Ltd" »
The normal process is to burn a hydrocarbon and get CO2. A possible novel new process would turn the CO back into a Hydrocarbon. 
CO2 ==> CO ==> Hydrocarbon ... just add concentrated sunlight! Pretty neat!
"... research team from Sandia National Laboratories is building a prototype ... to chemically “reenergize” carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide ... carbon monoxide could then be used to make hydrogen or ... combustible fuel, such as methanol or even gasoline, diesel and jet fuel."
"... Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5, for short), ..."
"... “Sunshine to Petrol” (S2P). “Liquid Solar Fuel” is the end product — the methanol, gasoline, or other liquid fuel made from water and the carbon monoxide produced using solar energy."
Continue reading "Possible Route to Hydrocarbon Fuel from Air" »
... "The 130,000-square-foot, highly automated manufacturing and distribution center will produce the reflectors, towers, absorber tubes, and other key components of the company's solar thermal power plants. Solar thermal power plants use fields of mirrors to capture the sun's power to produce electricity without pollution. " ...
Continue reading "Solar Thermal Manufacturing Capacity to Come Onstream in 2008" »
... "Development of a new paradigm for controlling the microstructure of thin-film silicon, which will improve stability and efficiency and lower the cost of nanocrystal silicon photovoltaic cells. Led by professor Uwe Kortshagen, department of mechanical engineering, Institute of Technology. Amount awarded: $732,032. " ...Via University of Minnesota: $4.5 Million Funding for Renewable Energy Research
Continue reading "Renewable Energy Research Projects Funded" »
Boston has a new take on trashcans.
Their BIG GREEN compacting cans can hold up to 150 gallons requiring less frequent vists by sanitation workers ... and less mess as they do not tip over and spill!
"... solar-powered, self-compacting trash receptacles. ...need emptying only once or twice a day, ... ..."
"... powered by photoelectric panels, which supply power to motor-driven compactors inside. ..."
"... has placed 50 ... machines in neighborhoods and hopes to buy more as it gauges how much it can save in labor costs.
"...model ... has increased capacity in the solar panels, allowing them to store enough power to run for several weeks without sunlight."
Via: Boston.Com Link
Continue reading "Solar Powered Trash Compactors in Boston" »
... "The nations first solar-powered billboard is prominently located at 1000 Brannan Street in San Francisco, visible from the Highway 101 9th Street exit. It is outfitted with 20 solar modules that can provide up to 3.4 kilowatts of renewable solar energy to the PG&E grid. The power generated by the system exceeds the power used at night to illuminate the billboards lights. In addition to installing solar, PG&E replaced the billboards halophane light fixtures with energy-efficient LED lights. " ...
... "Solar energy provides an energy efficient and environmentally friendly power source for users RFID hardware, and also eliminates the need to install electrical infrastructure in remote areas where there is no fixed reader infrastructure. " ...Via Savi Technology: Solar Energy Asset Tracking
... "Essentially, the city would use its access to cheap bond financing to offer residents low-cost home-improvement loans, repaid over 20 years by whoever owns the property. " ...Via San Jose Mercury: Berkeley Homeowners
... "The technology that will continue to produce electricity when the sun goes down works by using the concentrated solar energy to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen through a spectrum splitter and then an electrolyser. " ...Via Herald Sun: Solar After Dark Solar Systems Research: "Current research and development efforts are targeting greater output by using high efficiency PV cells, better mirror technology and reducing parasitic losses. "
... "This integrated equipment set addresses critical processing steps in c-Si solar cell production that significantly affect solar cell efficiency and yield, while enabling the use of ultrathin silicon wafers. Combining Baccinis products and technologies with Applieds semiconductor interconnect processing expertise, manufacturing capabilities, and R&D resources will provide customers with world-class, automated production technology for fabricating advanced c-Si solar cells. Baccini is a privately-held company founded in 1967 and based in Treviso, Italy. Baccinis product line provides state-of-the-art material handling automation capable of processing wafers less than 120 micrometers thick, which are significantly thinner than those typically used in the industry. Reliable processing of ultrathin wafers is key to next-generation c-Si manufacturing because it will allow customers to minimize the use of silicon material, which now represents more than 60% of solar cell manufacturing cost. " ...
... "Kazmerski, who has published more than 300 papers on various aspects of solar technology, will argue that solar cell technology is at a tipping point in the complex world of energy supply and demand. He will discuss the development of this technology, describe recent research and development advances ... " ...
... "That they ought to be exposed to unshaded sunlight was obvious, but my early discovery that in order to achieve maximum output they need also to be rinsed periodically was an early lesson in the maintenance of solar panels. I have been more recently surprised that these two points are not fully appreciated by everyone ... " ...
Continue reading "Residential Solar Photovoltaic Advice to Sustain Best Performance" »
cells. ... ... "Nanosolar’s cells use no silicon, and the company’s manufacturing process allows it to create cells that are as efficient as most commercial cells for as little as 30 cents a watt. " ...
Via Popular Science: Dawn of Solar
"Silda Wall Spitzer, ... wants to turn the governor's mansion ... into a modern model of energy efficiency ... “Greening the Mansion” will cut its electrical energy consumption by 50% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half.
Highlights include:
* solar panels
* a fuel cell to replace back up dielsel powered generator
* energy efficient appliances
Via: TreeHugger.com Link
solar photovoltaic cells. The company has developed a novel way to configure spherical solarcells, overcoming technical barriers and limitations. ... ... "CV21's solution was to place each of the one-millimeter-diameter silicon spheres in its own hexagonal aluminium reflector. " ...
Via MIT's Technology Review: Silicon Beads
adoption of photovoltaics and alternative energy in the marketplace. ...
... "Wadia spends many daylight hours in a chemistry lab, synthesizing super-small nanoparticles in a three-necked flask apparatus a technique so simple, he claims, that anyone who feels comfortable in a kitchen could do it then coating his solution on a glass substrate and analyzing his new device for photocurrent. " ...
Continue reading "Solar Thomas Edison Synthesizes Photo Active Nano Particles" »
Continue reading "Zero Emission Manufacturing Vision Achieved" »
Carry your laptop and other electronics in a cool looking bag and have a handy source of never ending power at the same time.
"Eclipse Solar Gear is a leading source of innovative solar charging cases ...patented line of solar backpacks ... designed to charge the batteries of common handheld electronics ..."
"... a solar backpack or any solar charger can extend the use of your personal electronics and contribute to the protection of the environment. ..."
Via: eclipsesolargear.com Link
... "Faculty in Chemical Engineering will be able to study advanced catalysts for energy conversion and pollution control, durable fuel cells and defect free Ge/Si for low-cost photovoltaics. " ...
Continue reading "Nanomachining Photovoltaics with Ion Beams" »
technology. ... ... "The plant, to be located in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., is expected to begin generating power in 2010. Ausra has filed its Application for Certification for this plant with the California Energy Commission, which must grant approval before construction begins. The plant will burn no fuel, use minimal water, and have no air or water emissions. At 177 megawatts of capacity, the project will use only one square mile (640 acres) of land due to the exceptional area efficiency of Ausra's collector technology. Ausra's new Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) solar technology utilizes the heat from the sun's rays to create steam. Solar collectors boil water at high temperatures to power steam turbine generators, in much the same way as traditional fossil-fuel power plants, but without use of fuels or emissions. " ...
Via Ausra: Solar Thermal Power
... "On a clear day around noon, incident solar radiation is approximately 100 Watts/square foot (1,000 W/square meter). Mono-crystalline (single crystal) and multi-crystalline solar panels change about 15-18% of the incident sunlight into electricity. Therefore it takes roughly 70 to 60 square feet of roof area respectively for a 1 kW solar electric system. Thin film technologies such as amorphous silicon panels are approximately 8% efficient and a 1 kW array would take up twice the area of a crystalline array. " ...
... "Through this new reclamation process IBM is now able to more efficiently remove the intellectual property from the wafer surface, making these wafers available either for reuse in internal manufacturing calibration as monitor wafers or for sale to the solar cell industry, which must meet a growing demand for the same silicon material to produce photovoltaic cells for solar panels. When monitors wafers reach end of life they are sold to the solar industry. Depending on how a specific solar cell manufacturer chooses to process a batch of reclaimed wafers - they could save between 30 - 90% of the energy that they would have needed if they'd used a new silicon material source. These estimated energy savings translate into an overall reduction of the carbon footprint for both the Semiconductor and Solar industries. " ...
Continue reading "Solar Silicon Supply Boosted by Wafer Recycling at IBM" »
Congrats to the Darmstadt University of Technology!
Related:
Winning Solar House ...
Submit Solar House Proposal for the 2009 Competition.
... "Compared to solar modules in the market today, Innovalight has developed a proprietary technology that utilizes liquid processing of silicon to produce high-efficiency solar cells that have the potential to reduce solar costs by more than 50 percent. " ...
Continue reading "Solar Printed Silicon Inks Offer Opportunity" »
... "In Germany, for instance, solar panels have been installed on 700,000 roofs and a feed-in tariff has been established by the German government that guarantees a high rate of return to consumers for generating electricity and returning it to the energy grid. " ...