Doing a cost comparison for solar power is so significant, particularly if you're one of many people who are up on the fence about this and who are actually undecided this is what you need to do. Learning why is solar power cost effective and why or you would need to use it for the maximum amount of your electricity desires as feasible, these are critical things that everybody should be conscious of, and that may be debated in more detail here.
Environmental Benefits
When doing a cost comparison for solar energy, the environmental benefits offered by solar energy are one of the first aspects that you should take seriously. Especially in the world that we live in today, where we are facing such extreme environmental issues such as global warming, there has never been a better time than now to take that step forward and make sure that you are doing a cost comparison for solar energy so that you can start utilizing it in your own life.
There are some huge environmental benefits that come from using solar energy rather than regular electricity, but namely you know that you are not going to be polluting the air and so you are doing your part for the environment.
Savings for You
One of the biggest reasons that people are making the switch to solar energy is because they are fed up with the amount of money that they are having to shell out every month for their electricity bill. This is not surprising when you figure that even for a small home, typically the electricity bill is upwards of two hundred dollars each and every month.
Well when you are doing a cost comparison for solar energy, you are going to want to factor in that you could spend less than two hundred dollars to set up a solar energy system at your home, and after that you will not have any electricity bills to pay. Sounds too good to be true, well this is one thing that is actually true and to do a cost comparison for solar energy you will be able to work with your budget and actually see the amazing savings that you are going to get.
The money spent at first to get the solar power system kit is going to above pay itself off in the final analysis and is easily worth getting.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Get a different heating boiler and relax
The price of gas and electricity has increased dramatically over the past few years. People have started to look for ways to reduce the amount spent on their bills in this era of economic downturn and rising prices. A major part of your utility bills is the cost of your gas central heating. What makes the outlook for reducing charges not too bad is that there are many different ideas for people to try, ideas which help them to achieve a noticeable decrement in the amount of spending on heating their homes, which in return affects the spending on utility bills.
Replace Inefficient Central Heating Systems.
If it has crossed 10 years, it’s past the hill – retire the old central heating solar boiler and install a modern and more efficient gas central heating system. Installing a newer more efficient heating system is a good way to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat your home and so reduce your bills. Older systems can easily be replaced by gas Condensing and Combi Central Heating Boilers.
Certain rebates and grants are obtainable for gas central heating which can help to reduce the costs.
If you are a british resident, then your chance to qualify for one of the awards is good. These grants can be up to the amount of two thousand seven hundred and are given by the government to help towards things like gas heating system fitting, loft and wall insulation, draught proofing and so on. To receive the award you should either have your own home or you should be living in a private rented house, you should also have be receiving some form of disability benefit or social security benefit. Central heating costs may be discounted by up to three hundred pounds for senior citizens above sixty years of age.
Insulation of your cavity walls.
Approximately 30% of heat loss from a house occurs through the walls, to improve the insulating ability of the cavity you have to use a suitable insulating material. So cavity wall insulation becomes important to reduce the amount of heat loss. As you manage to reduce the amount of the escaping heat by using cavity wall insulation you will notice that you are spending much less on heating your home. By installing cavity insulation in your home’s walls the value of your home can increase, so that is a great advantage for you beside the reduction in your bills, you can also earn more money by selling your home after the modifications than before.
What About Solar Hot Water Systems?.
One of the cheapest and greenest ways to heat the water in your home is to have a British Gas solar hot water system installed. Thinking for a moment of the area of your home that is exposed to the sun, and the time of this exposure you can imagine the amount of hot water you can have without any effort from your side, and you can cover all of your and your family’s hot water requirements.
As you can see there are a number of different things you can do to cut the cost of central heating your home and your water. Along with cost savings, you also have the satisfaction of excellent warmth through environmentally friendly and state-of-the-art technology.
Replace Inefficient Central Heating Systems.
If it has crossed 10 years, it’s past the hill – retire the old central heating solar boiler and install a modern and more efficient gas central heating system. Installing a newer more efficient heating system is a good way to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat your home and so reduce your bills. Older systems can easily be replaced by gas Condensing and Combi Central Heating Boilers.
Certain rebates and grants are obtainable for gas central heating which can help to reduce the costs.
If you are a british resident, then your chance to qualify for one of the awards is good. These grants can be up to the amount of two thousand seven hundred and are given by the government to help towards things like gas heating system fitting, loft and wall insulation, draught proofing and so on. To receive the award you should either have your own home or you should be living in a private rented house, you should also have be receiving some form of disability benefit or social security benefit. Central heating costs may be discounted by up to three hundred pounds for senior citizens above sixty years of age.
Insulation of your cavity walls.
Approximately 30% of heat loss from a house occurs through the walls, to improve the insulating ability of the cavity you have to use a suitable insulating material. So cavity wall insulation becomes important to reduce the amount of heat loss. As you manage to reduce the amount of the escaping heat by using cavity wall insulation you will notice that you are spending much less on heating your home. By installing cavity insulation in your home’s walls the value of your home can increase, so that is a great advantage for you beside the reduction in your bills, you can also earn more money by selling your home after the modifications than before.
What About Solar Hot Water Systems?.
One of the cheapest and greenest ways to heat the water in your home is to have a British Gas solar hot water system installed. Thinking for a moment of the area of your home that is exposed to the sun, and the time of this exposure you can imagine the amount of hot water you can have without any effort from your side, and you can cover all of your and your family’s hot water requirements.
As you can see there are a number of different things you can do to cut the cost of central heating your home and your water. Along with cost savings, you also have the satisfaction of excellent warmth through environmentally friendly and state-of-the-art technology.
New development boosts output of DSSC solar cells
In a world first, an international research team based in Melbourne, Australia, has developed a way to boost the output of the next generation of solar cells by creating a more efficient dye that makes dye-sensitive solar cells (DSSC) perform better than previous versions.
Scientists at Monash have collaborated with colleagues from the universities of Wollongong (Australia) and Ulm (Germany) to produce tandem dye-sensitized solar cells with a three-fold increase in energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported tandem dye-sensitized solar cells.
Lead researcher Dr Udo Bach, from Monash, was hopeful the breakthrough would increase the energy generation performance of the cells and make them a viable and competitive alternative to traditional silicon solar cells.
The more efficient type of dye the scientists have created makes the operation of inverse dye-sensitized solar cells much more efficient.
The researchers say that when they combined two types of dye-sensitized solar cell - one inverse and the other classic - into a simple stack, it was the first time they were able to produce a tandem solar cell that exceeded the efficiency of its individual components.
"The tandem approach - stacking many solar cells together - has been successfully used in conventional photovoltaic devices to maximize energy generation, but there have been obstacles in doing this with dye-sensitized cells because there has not been a method for creating an inverse system that would allow dye molecules to efficiently pass on positive charges to a semiconductor when illuminated with light," Dr Bach said.
"Inverse dye-sensitized solar cells are the key to producing dye-sensitized tandem solar cells, but the challenge has been to find a way to make them perform more effectively. By creating a way of making inverse dye-sensitized solar cells operate very efficiently we have opened the way for dye-sensitized tandem solar cells to become a commercial reality."
Disappointingly, in the past DSSC have performed below that of silicon solar cells even after many years of research. DSSC have great potential because of their relative inexpensive and easy methods of fabrication.
Dr Bach’s findings, detailed in a paper published in Nature Materials, are said to be an important milestone in the ongoing development of viable and efficient solar cell technology.
"While this new tandem technology is still in its early infancy, it represents an important first step towards the development of the next generation of solar cells that can be produced at low cost and with energy efficient production methods," he said.
Scientists at Monash have collaborated with colleagues from the universities of Wollongong (Australia) and Ulm (Germany) to produce tandem dye-sensitized solar cells with a three-fold increase in energy conversion efficiency compared with previously reported tandem dye-sensitized solar cells.
Lead researcher Dr Udo Bach, from Monash, was hopeful the breakthrough would increase the energy generation performance of the cells and make them a viable and competitive alternative to traditional silicon solar cells.
The more efficient type of dye the scientists have created makes the operation of inverse dye-sensitized solar cells much more efficient.
The researchers say that when they combined two types of dye-sensitized solar cell - one inverse and the other classic - into a simple stack, it was the first time they were able to produce a tandem solar cell that exceeded the efficiency of its individual components.
"The tandem approach - stacking many solar cells together - has been successfully used in conventional photovoltaic devices to maximize energy generation, but there have been obstacles in doing this with dye-sensitized cells because there has not been a method for creating an inverse system that would allow dye molecules to efficiently pass on positive charges to a semiconductor when illuminated with light," Dr Bach said.
"Inverse dye-sensitized solar cells are the key to producing dye-sensitized tandem solar cells, but the challenge has been to find a way to make them perform more effectively. By creating a way of making inverse dye-sensitized solar cells operate very efficiently we have opened the way for dye-sensitized tandem solar cells to become a commercial reality."
Disappointingly, in the past DSSC have performed below that of silicon solar cells even after many years of research. DSSC have great potential because of their relative inexpensive and easy methods of fabrication.
Dr Bach’s findings, detailed in a paper published in Nature Materials, are said to be an important milestone in the ongoing development of viable and efficient solar cell technology.
"While this new tandem technology is still in its early infancy, it represents an important first step towards the development of the next generation of solar cells that can be produced at low cost and with energy efficient production methods," he said.
Implement a Solar Power Home
A solar power home system is one of the most viable options for you when you are thinking about converting your home energy system from no-renewable to renewable sources of energy. I am saying this because, today we are at a point where the no-renewable resources are fast vanishing. Earlier, we never paid much attention towards the proper usage and lesser wastage of the same and hence we are suffering the consequences. That is the basis; we are trying to strive for alternative energy implementations and you should now that converting solar power home systems into a functioning venture will remain even after the no-renewable resources vanishes.
In the core of such a crisis we cannot afford to remain above it anymore because it is changing us in all ways possible. So, I think the solar power home system as the best possible, alternative home powering operation. With a solar power home system, you would be able to work and use all of your electrical needs including your home theater, kitchen utensils, the refrigerator along with the lights and fans obviously. Solar air heaters will provide hot air options which you can then use whenever you want. Primarily you can run your entire abode on a solar power home unit.
To this extent, take a track today instead of just sitting around and waiting for the government or someone else to do something. Convert your abode into a solar power home. It is neither very expensive nor is it extremely difficult to set up and use. In basis, presently there are many cost effective as well as budget solar powering D-I-Y available which will help you to apply the power of solar energy.
Here are a few benefits that you can get out of solar power.
There is the solar lightning system for your home which will store the sun’s energy and later convert it to electrical energy so that you can light your home at night. Primarily, there are solar cells which overtake the energy of the sun during the day. At night, when you turn on the lights, this solar power gets modified to electrical energy and as a repercussion your solar power home lights up. So, you get energy and freedom from all electricity bills ever.
As we have told previously, the solar water heater is another profit. You can freely cook a delicious meal, use it for bathing, do your laundry etc. There are two types of this solar water heater. One is the loop direct heater type which is appropriate for areas which are not level to freezing while the other uses an anti freeze liquid which keeps the solar energy trapped for later use.
There is also the solar cooker which is mere powerfull and you can cook at any time you want. You just have to keep the sun in your hands and make your house a solar power home.
You can learn more about how to become an independent energy producer at Solar Power Lights visit us now!
Put your mind into it and start taking positive action today towards your economy and planet and you will be bewildered just how things can be corrected and reformed.
In the core of such a crisis we cannot afford to remain above it anymore because it is changing us in all ways possible. So, I think the solar power home system as the best possible, alternative home powering operation. With a solar power home system, you would be able to work and use all of your electrical needs including your home theater, kitchen utensils, the refrigerator along with the lights and fans obviously. Solar air heaters will provide hot air options which you can then use whenever you want. Primarily you can run your entire abode on a solar power home unit.
To this extent, take a track today instead of just sitting around and waiting for the government or someone else to do something. Convert your abode into a solar power home. It is neither very expensive nor is it extremely difficult to set up and use. In basis, presently there are many cost effective as well as budget solar powering D-I-Y available which will help you to apply the power of solar energy.
Here are a few benefits that you can get out of solar power.
There is the solar lightning system for your home which will store the sun’s energy and later convert it to electrical energy so that you can light your home at night. Primarily, there are solar cells which overtake the energy of the sun during the day. At night, when you turn on the lights, this solar power gets modified to electrical energy and as a repercussion your solar power home lights up. So, you get energy and freedom from all electricity bills ever.
As we have told previously, the solar water heater is another profit. You can freely cook a delicious meal, use it for bathing, do your laundry etc. There are two types of this solar water heater. One is the loop direct heater type which is appropriate for areas which are not level to freezing while the other uses an anti freeze liquid which keeps the solar energy trapped for later use.
There is also the solar cooker which is mere powerfull and you can cook at any time you want. You just have to keep the sun in your hands and make your house a solar power home.
You can learn more about how to become an independent energy producer at Solar Power Lights visit us now!
Put your mind into it and start taking positive action today towards your economy and planet and you will be bewildered just how things can be corrected and reformed.
Harnessing solar energy
The design is capable of including the installation of photovoltaic cell technology to harness the sun’s rays as a renewable energy source. Such an approach may be subject to governmental grants to offset the costs of such technology in the increasing interests of promoting sustainable energy sources in Malaysia, and would reinforce the development as the most sustainable hotel project in Malaysia, if not SE Asia. Given the cumulative roof area designated for photovoltaic cells, the energy generated could account for 8.5% of the development’s 7800MWh/year energy requirement, thus contributing to a 10% saving in utility costs.
Modularisation and ease of construction
Modern methods of construction that includes prefabrication and modularisation will reduce the reliance on specialist labour. The modular construction also enables a quicker construction process, saving time and therefore financial burden.
The landscape and its character areas
At the heart of the scheme are the spatial needs of people for their social interaction, recreation, health and well-being, and an ease of movement through the site and beyond. A series of character places facilitate this, ranging from the ‘piazza’ (for meeting and greeting), to the ‘broadwalk’ (for waterfront promenading), to the ‘beach cove’ (for physical recreation or water sport related activities), to the ‘serpentine gardens’ (for visual amenity) to the lustrous ‘oasis’ (a paradisiacal garden retreat). The buildings help define and enclose the spaces in order to create a co-ordinated design solution between social need and built environment.
Modularisation and ease of construction
Modern methods of construction that includes prefabrication and modularisation will reduce the reliance on specialist labour. The modular construction also enables a quicker construction process, saving time and therefore financial burden.
The landscape and its character areas
At the heart of the scheme are the spatial needs of people for their social interaction, recreation, health and well-being, and an ease of movement through the site and beyond. A series of character places facilitate this, ranging from the ‘piazza’ (for meeting and greeting), to the ‘broadwalk’ (for waterfront promenading), to the ‘beach cove’ (for physical recreation or water sport related activities), to the ‘serpentine gardens’ (for visual amenity) to the lustrous ‘oasis’ (a paradisiacal garden retreat). The buildings help define and enclose the spaces in order to create a co-ordinated design solution between social need and built environment.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Solar Energy Initiatives secures land to build a 100 MW solar park in California
Solar Energy Initiatives-owned Solar Park initiatives announced that as a part of their campaign "RENEW THE NATION," it has signed a contract to secure land for designing, constructing and operating a solar park in California. This is all part of the initiative to make solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) technologies more available. The financial aspect of the park and engineering, permitting construction, operations and maintenance will be the responsibility of Solar Park Initiatives. The solar panels and balance of system for the project will be obtained by Solar Energy Initiatives.
Zoning, permitting, EPA approvals and other such preliminary activities are soon to begin, with estimates point to the end of 2010. The 100 MW project is to be constructed over a span of three years, with the contract covering 25 years with an option for renewal.
Solar Energy Initiatives' CEO, David Fann, stated, "This endeavor represents strong validation that Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives’ synergistic relationship is extremely capable of securing large scale contracts and expanding market presence. We believe that as Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives continue to grow as market leaders and establish credibility with municipalities and landowners that both companies will secure additional contracts, increase our earnings and achieve our primary goal of improved shareholder value. Combined with our previously announced solar park in Western Texas we now have a combined 400 megawatts worth of projects that will begin in the next eighteen months."
Zoning, permitting, EPA approvals and other such preliminary activities are soon to begin, with estimates point to the end of 2010. The 100 MW project is to be constructed over a span of three years, with the contract covering 25 years with an option for renewal.
Solar Energy Initiatives' CEO, David Fann, stated, "This endeavor represents strong validation that Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives’ synergistic relationship is extremely capable of securing large scale contracts and expanding market presence. We believe that as Solar Energy Initiatives and Solar Park Initiatives continue to grow as market leaders and establish credibility with municipalities and landowners that both companies will secure additional contracts, increase our earnings and achieve our primary goal of improved shareholder value. Combined with our previously announced solar park in Western Texas we now have a combined 400 megawatts worth of projects that will begin in the next eighteen months."
ENERGY-DENMARK: Samso Island, Beyond Fantasy
On the Danish island of Samsø, a model of energy self-sufficiency, even cow’s milk helps reduce emissions of climate changing gases.
Samsø has an area of 114 square kilometres with just over 4,000 people, located in the Bay of Kattegat, in the North Sea, some 120 km west of Copenhagen.
ts reputation as a model of sustainability is due to the fact that it uses wind turbines and solar panels to generate all of the electricity consumed by local residents.
Since 1997, when Samsø won a national competition to become a prototype community in the use of renewable energy sources, the Samsingers, as locals are known, revolutionised all aspects of their daily lives in order to contribute to greater efficiency.
The effort has such a broad scope that even milk production is part of the energy system.
At the time of milking, cow’s milk has a temperature of about 38 degrees Celsius and has to be cooled immediately to three degrees. Some dairy farmers in Samsø connected a heat transfer mechanism to the collection tank to prevent the warmth from the milk from dissipating into the air, and harnessing it instead to help heat their homes.
So far, despite their inventiveness, the farmers have not resolved the problem of methane and other greenhouse gases generated by the bovine digestive system. But they are studying the system used on a model farm on the Jutland Peninsula, which recycles gases and waste from raising pigs and uses them as energy sources and fertiliser to grow tomatoes.
Although the transfer of heat from the milk to household heating is just a small component in the Samsø community’s energy system, it illustrates how hard the Samsingers are willing to work towards living in harmony with nature.
The centrepiece of the system are 11 wind turbines, which generate an average of 28,000 megawatts annually. That’s enough to meet the community’s electricity demands, supply the island’s entire public transportation system, and have a surplus of 10 percent to sell to other regions of Denmark.
The income from those sales is reinvested in the local renewable energy system.
It’s not that the Samsingers have given up their cars and other usual modes of transport. For example, the three ferries that connect the island with the mainland consume 9,000 litres of petroleum per day. Even so, Samsø sells more clean energy to the continent than it purchases in fossil fuels.
The community is interested in experimenting with electric cars. ”The distances here are very short, less than 50 kilometres,” said Søren Hermansen, director of the island’s Energy Academy and a pioneer in the local environmental revolution.
”If the battery of an electric car can store up energy for, say, 120 kilometres, then that would mean we wouldn’t have to sell our clean energy and we would use it here,” Hermansen told Tierramérica.
Farmers have adapted their tractors and other vehicles to consume ethanol or other fuels distilled from locally grown plants, like canola.
Samsø also has four generators that run on the combustion of hay, which is abundant on the island. The generators are especially efficient because they produce both heat and electricity. Many homes have installed solar panels, geothermal heating, and solar boilers.
Samsø has an area of 114 square kilometres with just over 4,000 people, located in the Bay of Kattegat, in the North Sea, some 120 km west of Copenhagen.
ts reputation as a model of sustainability is due to the fact that it uses wind turbines and solar panels to generate all of the electricity consumed by local residents.
Since 1997, when Samsø won a national competition to become a prototype community in the use of renewable energy sources, the Samsingers, as locals are known, revolutionised all aspects of their daily lives in order to contribute to greater efficiency.
The effort has such a broad scope that even milk production is part of the energy system.
At the time of milking, cow’s milk has a temperature of about 38 degrees Celsius and has to be cooled immediately to three degrees. Some dairy farmers in Samsø connected a heat transfer mechanism to the collection tank to prevent the warmth from the milk from dissipating into the air, and harnessing it instead to help heat their homes.
So far, despite their inventiveness, the farmers have not resolved the problem of methane and other greenhouse gases generated by the bovine digestive system. But they are studying the system used on a model farm on the Jutland Peninsula, which recycles gases and waste from raising pigs and uses them as energy sources and fertiliser to grow tomatoes.
Although the transfer of heat from the milk to household heating is just a small component in the Samsø community’s energy system, it illustrates how hard the Samsingers are willing to work towards living in harmony with nature.
The centrepiece of the system are 11 wind turbines, which generate an average of 28,000 megawatts annually. That’s enough to meet the community’s electricity demands, supply the island’s entire public transportation system, and have a surplus of 10 percent to sell to other regions of Denmark.
The income from those sales is reinvested in the local renewable energy system.
It’s not that the Samsingers have given up their cars and other usual modes of transport. For example, the three ferries that connect the island with the mainland consume 9,000 litres of petroleum per day. Even so, Samsø sells more clean energy to the continent than it purchases in fossil fuels.
The community is interested in experimenting with electric cars. ”The distances here are very short, less than 50 kilometres,” said Søren Hermansen, director of the island’s Energy Academy and a pioneer in the local environmental revolution.
”If the battery of an electric car can store up energy for, say, 120 kilometres, then that would mean we wouldn’t have to sell our clean energy and we would use it here,” Hermansen told Tierramérica.
Farmers have adapted their tractors and other vehicles to consume ethanol or other fuels distilled from locally grown plants, like canola.
Samsø also has four generators that run on the combustion of hay, which is abundant on the island. The generators are especially efficient because they produce both heat and electricity. Many homes have installed solar panels, geothermal heating, and solar boilers.
Sanyo Delays Increase in Solar Cell Production
Sanyo Electric has delayed a planned increase in production of solar cells, citing poor market conditions.
In February this year Sanyo began construction of a third factory at its site in Nishikiminami in western Japan, with plans to begin solar cell production around now. The factory has been completed but the start of high-volume production has been pushed back to December next year.
When it begins production the factory will have an annual production capacity of 135 megawatts, which is in line with Sanyo's original plans. That will take total production at the plant, which includes two other factories, to 345 megawatts.
Sanyo is also planning to increase production at its other Japanese solar cell plant in Shimane, also in western Japan, from 130 megawatts to 220 megawatts around April 2010.
The revised plans will mean that Sanyo will end its current financial year in March 2010 with total production unchanged on that of the previous year at 340 megawatts. In the coming financial year, from April 2010, it will first raise production in Shimane and then in the second half of the financial year start up the new factory in Nishikiminami.
If all goes according to the revised schedule Sanyo will finish its next fiscal year with solar cell production of 565 megawatts.
Sanyo is in the process of being acquired by Panasonic in a deal that is expected to close before the end of the current financial year.
In February this year Sanyo began construction of a third factory at its site in Nishikiminami in western Japan, with plans to begin solar cell production around now. The factory has been completed but the start of high-volume production has been pushed back to December next year.
When it begins production the factory will have an annual production capacity of 135 megawatts, which is in line with Sanyo's original plans. That will take total production at the plant, which includes two other factories, to 345 megawatts.
Sanyo is also planning to increase production at its other Japanese solar cell plant in Shimane, also in western Japan, from 130 megawatts to 220 megawatts around April 2010.
The revised plans will mean that Sanyo will end its current financial year in March 2010 with total production unchanged on that of the previous year at 340 megawatts. In the coming financial year, from April 2010, it will first raise production in Shimane and then in the second half of the financial year start up the new factory in Nishikiminami.
If all goes according to the revised schedule Sanyo will finish its next fiscal year with solar cell production of 565 megawatts.
Sanyo is in the process of being acquired by Panasonic in a deal that is expected to close before the end of the current financial year.
Solar Air Heater for Commercial or Home Heating
Solar air heater systems use the solar radiations to heat a particular room using solar panels. There are many ways of using solar air heating, and we can even build one at home using help from online sources. It is a type of solar thermal system, where air is heated in a collector by the sun's radiation and either transferred directly to the interior space or to a storage medium such as a rock bin.
Solar panels are used to operate such systems. The solar panels heat the air which is then conveyed into a room. The basic component of this system includes solar collector panels, a duct system and diffusers. The heated air can operate with or without a fan. Without the fan the air is distributed by the action of a natural ventilation system.
In agriculture, the food produced sometimes needs to be kept in warm places especially during the monsoons. The solar air heater works here. It can raise the temperature of the room so that it is appropriately heated. In this way the products can stay safe and will not get spoiled because of the humidity.
The solar air heater works in much the same way as a solar water heater works. The heater is place outside the room in the open so that it can catch the sunlight. It is generally made up of solar panels but people use a variety of things. Some use aluminum drink cans and paint them black. Then they are arranged on a board and fit to a frame. The panels or the cans should have holes in them connecting each other so that the air travels through them. Hence the cold air from the room moves through the cans and the warm air enters into the room causing raise in temperature. In this way a solar air heater is a very economical way to heat a room. Rather than using expensive heating devices that require a lot of electricity it is definitely a cost-effective solution.
Solar panels are used to operate such systems. The solar panels heat the air which is then conveyed into a room. The basic component of this system includes solar collector panels, a duct system and diffusers. The heated air can operate with or without a fan. Without the fan the air is distributed by the action of a natural ventilation system.
In agriculture, the food produced sometimes needs to be kept in warm places especially during the monsoons. The solar air heater works here. It can raise the temperature of the room so that it is appropriately heated. In this way the products can stay safe and will not get spoiled because of the humidity.
The solar air heater works in much the same way as a solar water heater works. The heater is place outside the room in the open so that it can catch the sunlight. It is generally made up of solar panels but people use a variety of things. Some use aluminum drink cans and paint them black. Then they are arranged on a board and fit to a frame. The panels or the cans should have holes in them connecting each other so that the air travels through them. Hence the cold air from the room moves through the cans and the warm air enters into the room causing raise in temperature. In this way a solar air heater is a very economical way to heat a room. Rather than using expensive heating devices that require a lot of electricity it is definitely a cost-effective solution.
What is a Photovoltaic Cell?
A photovoltaic cell is made up of a nonconductor, with one side coated with metal atoms that produce electrons when they are exposed to the sun. The other side of the PV cell is coated with negative electron atoms. If you connect a wires, from each side of the cell, to a device, current will flow when the positive side is exposed to sunlight.
The downside of using a photovoltaic cell is that it can be less efficient than other types of power. A small solar panel can can only power equipment which doesn't require a lot of power. What's more, when you?re outdoors, you can't always expect the weather to cooperate with you.
Chances are, you?ll experience bad days when the sun barely peeks out of the clouds. At times like these you?re solar-powered gadgets will not work. This is the reason why majority of these solar-powered camping gear feature additional energy sources, such as batteries, hand crank dynamos, or the option to charge them from a wall socket when available. There are even solar chargers that can recharge your AA batteries, so that you can later use them to run your small electronics.
Some people enjoy camping in RVs. Solar power can be used to charge the RV?s batteries. Photovoltaic cells can be discreetly placed on the dashboard.
Some people like to take hot baths, even in the wild. A solar shower can be utilized for this task.
Or, by using a solar cooker, you can have hot meals without risking a forest fire.
As you can see, solar camping gear can make your outdoor life a easier, as well as safer. And it can help you to enjoy nature even more ? without doing additional damage to the environment you are camping in.
Anna is provides information on the uses of solar power, solar equipment, and solar technology. To find out more about solar-powered equipment, please visit Solar Power Equipment & Information.
The downside of using a photovoltaic cell is that it can be less efficient than other types of power. A small solar panel can can only power equipment which doesn't require a lot of power. What's more, when you?re outdoors, you can't always expect the weather to cooperate with you.
Chances are, you?ll experience bad days when the sun barely peeks out of the clouds. At times like these you?re solar-powered gadgets will not work. This is the reason why majority of these solar-powered camping gear feature additional energy sources, such as batteries, hand crank dynamos, or the option to charge them from a wall socket when available. There are even solar chargers that can recharge your AA batteries, so that you can later use them to run your small electronics.
Some people enjoy camping in RVs. Solar power can be used to charge the RV?s batteries. Photovoltaic cells can be discreetly placed on the dashboard.
Some people like to take hot baths, even in the wild. A solar shower can be utilized for this task.
Or, by using a solar cooker, you can have hot meals without risking a forest fire.
As you can see, solar camping gear can make your outdoor life a easier, as well as safer. And it can help you to enjoy nature even more ? without doing additional damage to the environment you are camping in.
Anna is provides information on the uses of solar power, solar equipment, and solar technology. To find out more about solar-powered equipment, please visit Solar Power Equipment & Information.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Cash Incentives for Solar Energy in California
It seems the California Governor is making an all-out effort to encourage people to switch over the renewable source of energy. Assembly Bill 920, authored by Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-Marin, and signed by the governor of California, requires utilities to pay solar customers who produce more energy than they use.
Currently homeowners that produce more solar energy than they produce can zero their bills but they’re not paid for the extra energy they feed back into the grid. The payment for producing extra energy is known as “feed-in tariffs” and such an incentive has seen great success in European countries like German and Spain.
Under the new law, the California Public Utilities Commission is required to set the rate for the paybacks by Jan. 1, 2011.
The idea aims to utilize the empty and unused lots like rooftops, water house roofs and parking areas for the purpose of producing solar energy. Aside from these there remain many unused private properties that can be easily converted into solar power generating units, bringing in extra cash for the home owners.
Currently homeowners that produce more solar energy than they produce can zero their bills but they’re not paid for the extra energy they feed back into the grid. The payment for producing extra energy is known as “feed-in tariffs” and such an incentive has seen great success in European countries like German and Spain.
Under the new law, the California Public Utilities Commission is required to set the rate for the paybacks by Jan. 1, 2011.
The idea aims to utilize the empty and unused lots like rooftops, water house roofs and parking areas for the purpose of producing solar energy. Aside from these there remain many unused private properties that can be easily converted into solar power generating units, bringing in extra cash for the home owners.
Wrapping Solar Cells around an Optical Fiber
Dye-sensitized solar cells are flexible and cheap to make, but they tend to be inefficient at converting light into electricity. One way to boost the performance of any solar cell is to increase the surface area available to incoming light. So a group of researchers at Georgia Tech has made dye-sensitized solar cells with a much higher effective surface area by wrapping the cells around optical fibers. These fiber solar cells are six times more efficient than a zinc oxide solar cell with the same surface area, and if they can be built using cheap polymer fibers, they shouldn't be significantly more expensive to make.
The advantage of a fiber-optic solar-cell system over a planar one is that light bounces around inside an optical fiber as it travels along its length, providing more opportunities to interact with the solar cell on its inner surface and producing more current. "For a given real estate, the total area of the cell is higher, and increased surface area means improved light harvesting and more energy," says Max Shtein, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan who was not involved with the research.
Fiber-optic solar cells could also be used in ways that aren't possible currently. Zhong Lin Wang, professor of materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech, says fiber solar cells would take up less roof area than planar cells because long lengths of the fibers could be nestled into the walls of a house like electrical wiring.
Dye-sensitized solar cells use dye molecules to absorb light and generate electrons. The Georgia Tech group first removes the cladding from optical fibers and then grows zinc-oxide nanowires along their surface, like bristles on a pipe cleaner. Next, the fibers are treated with dye molecules, which the zinc-oxide structures absorb. The advantage of coating nanowires, rather than a smooth surface, with the dye is that the wires collectively have a very large surface area. The more dye molecules there are over a given area of such a cell, the more light it can absorb, says Wang. The dye-coated fibers are then surrounded by an electrolyte and a metal film that carries electrons off the device.
The advantage of a fiber-optic solar-cell system over a planar one is that light bounces around inside an optical fiber as it travels along its length, providing more opportunities to interact with the solar cell on its inner surface and producing more current. "For a given real estate, the total area of the cell is higher, and increased surface area means improved light harvesting and more energy," says Max Shtein, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan who was not involved with the research.
Fiber-optic solar cells could also be used in ways that aren't possible currently. Zhong Lin Wang, professor of materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech, says fiber solar cells would take up less roof area than planar cells because long lengths of the fibers could be nestled into the walls of a house like electrical wiring.
Dye-sensitized solar cells use dye molecules to absorb light and generate electrons. The Georgia Tech group first removes the cladding from optical fibers and then grows zinc-oxide nanowires along their surface, like bristles on a pipe cleaner. Next, the fibers are treated with dye molecules, which the zinc-oxide structures absorb. The advantage of coating nanowires, rather than a smooth surface, with the dye is that the wires collectively have a very large surface area. The more dye molecules there are over a given area of such a cell, the more light it can absorb, says Wang. The dye-coated fibers are then surrounded by an electrolyte and a metal film that carries electrons off the device.
Ausra wins solar steam boiler contract for 100MW Jordan thermal project
California concentrated solar developer Ausra has been awarded a contract to supply a solar boiler supplier for the JOAN1 100MW concentrated solar project under development in Ma’an, Jordan by German developers MENA Cleantech.
Expected to be operational by 2013, JOAN1 will be the largest concentrated solar power in the world using direct solar steam generation, and will be fitted with a back-up fossil fuel boiler to guarantee 24 hour coverage. Ausra is to install a manufacturing facility in Jordan to supply the plant with solar steam boilers. According to the company, the project is scheduled for financial close at the end of 2010, with construction beginning in 2011.
Samer Zureikat, managing director of MENA Cleantech, said ‘Ausra’s robust and cost-effective solar boiler technology, its team of experienced power industry veterans, as well as its OEM business model make it the most suitable solar steam boiler company to provide equipment for this landmark project.
Regarding the choice of Ma’an as the site for the world’s first large-scale direct steam CSP plant, Zureikat noted that, “Jordan’s modern investment laws and progressive regulatory climate coupled with its unparalleled solar resource make Ma’an one of the best locations in the world to build a Concentrating Solar Power plant.’
In late 2008, the Ausra launched a 5MW solar plant in California, the first in the state for nearly 20 years.
Expected to be operational by 2013, JOAN1 will be the largest concentrated solar power in the world using direct solar steam generation, and will be fitted with a back-up fossil fuel boiler to guarantee 24 hour coverage. Ausra is to install a manufacturing facility in Jordan to supply the plant with solar steam boilers. According to the company, the project is scheduled for financial close at the end of 2010, with construction beginning in 2011.
Samer Zureikat, managing director of MENA Cleantech, said ‘Ausra’s robust and cost-effective solar boiler technology, its team of experienced power industry veterans, as well as its OEM business model make it the most suitable solar steam boiler company to provide equipment for this landmark project.
Regarding the choice of Ma’an as the site for the world’s first large-scale direct steam CSP plant, Zureikat noted that, “Jordan’s modern investment laws and progressive regulatory climate coupled with its unparalleled solar resource make Ma’an one of the best locations in the world to build a Concentrating Solar Power plant.’
In late 2008, the Ausra launched a 5MW solar plant in California, the first in the state for nearly 20 years.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Should Renewable Energy Include Nuclear?
A new global effort that aims to make renewable energy more accessible to every country in the world launched on July 1st.
Governments are lining up to join the first agency that will advise them on how to make a renewable energy transition. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has attracted 108 countries, including the United States and China, which are both expected to announce their membership this week, in a move that experts say could boost the agency's credibility, since both countries are leaders in renewable energy.
But supporters worry that IRENA could be undermined by countries that are trying to promote nuclear power as a solution to climate change and dwindling oil reserves. Today, members will meet in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt to vote on a director general for the group and decide which country will host the agency's headquarters.
Currently, a leading alliance between France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is forming. French ministerial official Helene Pelosse is a nominee for IRENA'S director general and the UAE is lobbying to host its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. IRENA advocates say if the alliance succeeds, the agency would become "nuclear tainted."
France pushes nuclear as 'low-carbon technology'
France generates nearly 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. It's also one of the world's largest providers of nuclear technology and expertise. Since 2008, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has signed multibillion-dollar nuclear deals with the UAE, Qatar, Algeria, Libya, and Morocco.
At the same time, France is promoting nuclear as a form of renewable power because it emits low levels of carbon dioxide. When the European Union defined its long-term target for renewable energy production last year, it tried to include nuclear power in the definition of renewable energy, a move that was rejected by EU members.
France is also advocating to power the Mediterranean region using "low-carbon technology." IRENA supporters worry that under French leadership, the agency will support both renewables and nuclear options together.
Most discussions separate the two because renewable energy is defined as naturally replenishing resources, like solar or wind, which don't produce waste. Nuclear power is dependent on finite uranium resources, and produces radioactive waste that has to be isolated and stored for thousands of years.
"Advocates of nuclear try to avoid these essential differences by linking these two forms of energy under the umbrella term 'low-carbon technology,'" says Dr. Doerte Fouquet, Director of the European Renewable Energy Federation. "People forget that emitting zero CO2 is only one of the characteristics that defines a renewable source of energy."
Renewables tied to oil
The US, Japan, Britain, and France are actively signing nuclear power cooperation agreements with the UAE and they're expected to back Abu Dhabi's bid to headquarter the agency, analysts say.
"Their support for Abu Dhabi as IRENA's headquarters is linked to these agreements and a secure supply of oil," says IIda Tetsunari, advisor to Japan's Minister of Environment and executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies.
IRENA supporters say that would contradict its founding purpose to set the foundations for a renewable energy economy.
"Are the original goals of IRENA being co-opted so that renewables get pushed aside by a nuclear agenda - 'sprinkling some renewables on top of our nuclear power'?" asks Dr. Eric Martinot, an international expert on renewable energy markets and former World Bank energy officer.
The UAE has a 7 percent future target for renewable energy and is planning to build Masdar, a city powered only by renewable resources. The Emirates claim that their vast solar potential is not enough to power the rest of the UAE and are looking to nuclear power to fill the gap.
"Since the 1970s, scientists have shown that renewable energy can satisfy the energy needs of the entire world, but these studies get systematically ignored. IRENA will change this," says Hermann Scheer, a member of the German Parliament, and pioneer of the agency.
The case for Germany
Many supporters say the better picks to host and lead the agency are Bonn, Germany, where the concept of IRENA was born, says Hans Jurgen Koch, member of Denmark's climate and energy ministry.
In both countries building new nuclear plants is illegal. Instead, they've focused on introducing new policies to encourage renewable energy generation. Germans can access interest-free loans to buy solar panels and get paid to feed renewable energy to the grid. The country has 300,000 green jobs, and is hoping to double its share of renewable energy power to 30 percent by 2020, four times more the UAE's target.
Dr. Scheer, who has been fighting to establish the agency since the 1990s, says the founding of IRENA took off when the German government sought support of like-minded countries. "This was the only way to avoid the veto power of countries with strong nuclear or fossil interests, who have stopped IRENA in the past," he says. "IRENA could be designed as a lame duck or it could promote renewable energy acceleration everywhere. This is the case for decision."
Governments are lining up to join the first agency that will advise them on how to make a renewable energy transition. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has attracted 108 countries, including the United States and China, which are both expected to announce their membership this week, in a move that experts say could boost the agency's credibility, since both countries are leaders in renewable energy.
But supporters worry that IRENA could be undermined by countries that are trying to promote nuclear power as a solution to climate change and dwindling oil reserves. Today, members will meet in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt to vote on a director general for the group and decide which country will host the agency's headquarters.
Currently, a leading alliance between France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is forming. French ministerial official Helene Pelosse is a nominee for IRENA'S director general and the UAE is lobbying to host its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. IRENA advocates say if the alliance succeeds, the agency would become "nuclear tainted."
France pushes nuclear as 'low-carbon technology'
France generates nearly 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. It's also one of the world's largest providers of nuclear technology and expertise. Since 2008, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has signed multibillion-dollar nuclear deals with the UAE, Qatar, Algeria, Libya, and Morocco.
At the same time, France is promoting nuclear as a form of renewable power because it emits low levels of carbon dioxide. When the European Union defined its long-term target for renewable energy production last year, it tried to include nuclear power in the definition of renewable energy, a move that was rejected by EU members.
France is also advocating to power the Mediterranean region using "low-carbon technology." IRENA supporters worry that under French leadership, the agency will support both renewables and nuclear options together.
Most discussions separate the two because renewable energy is defined as naturally replenishing resources, like solar or wind, which don't produce waste. Nuclear power is dependent on finite uranium resources, and produces radioactive waste that has to be isolated and stored for thousands of years.
"Advocates of nuclear try to avoid these essential differences by linking these two forms of energy under the umbrella term 'low-carbon technology,'" says Dr. Doerte Fouquet, Director of the European Renewable Energy Federation. "People forget that emitting zero CO2 is only one of the characteristics that defines a renewable source of energy."
Renewables tied to oil
The US, Japan, Britain, and France are actively signing nuclear power cooperation agreements with the UAE and they're expected to back Abu Dhabi's bid to headquarter the agency, analysts say.
"Their support for Abu Dhabi as IRENA's headquarters is linked to these agreements and a secure supply of oil," says IIda Tetsunari, advisor to Japan's Minister of Environment and executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies.
IRENA supporters say that would contradict its founding purpose to set the foundations for a renewable energy economy.
"Are the original goals of IRENA being co-opted so that renewables get pushed aside by a nuclear agenda - 'sprinkling some renewables on top of our nuclear power'?" asks Dr. Eric Martinot, an international expert on renewable energy markets and former World Bank energy officer.
The UAE has a 7 percent future target for renewable energy and is planning to build Masdar, a city powered only by renewable resources. The Emirates claim that their vast solar potential is not enough to power the rest of the UAE and are looking to nuclear power to fill the gap.
"Since the 1970s, scientists have shown that renewable energy can satisfy the energy needs of the entire world, but these studies get systematically ignored. IRENA will change this," says Hermann Scheer, a member of the German Parliament, and pioneer of the agency.
The case for Germany
Many supporters say the better picks to host and lead the agency are Bonn, Germany, where the concept of IRENA was born, says Hans Jurgen Koch, member of Denmark's climate and energy ministry.
In both countries building new nuclear plants is illegal. Instead, they've focused on introducing new policies to encourage renewable energy generation. Germans can access interest-free loans to buy solar panels and get paid to feed renewable energy to the grid. The country has 300,000 green jobs, and is hoping to double its share of renewable energy power to 30 percent by 2020, four times more the UAE's target.
Dr. Scheer, who has been fighting to establish the agency since the 1990s, says the founding of IRENA took off when the German government sought support of like-minded countries. "This was the only way to avoid the veto power of countries with strong nuclear or fossil interests, who have stopped IRENA in the past," he says. "IRENA could be designed as a lame duck or it could promote renewable energy acceleration everywhere. This is the case for decision."
Monday, July 6, 2009
Going Green with Solar Heating System
Harnessing the sun’s extraordinary energy all begins with radiation. Radiation is used to heat water, and it’s water that will heat the air that flows through ducts to heat cold winter rooms. Solar thermal water heaters gather the sun’s energy to heat water for sinks and showers, and also to heat the air in a solar heating system.
Solar energy collectors soak up the energy from direct sunlight. That energy is used to warm up cold water. That water, now hot from this process, is pumped into a series of tubes that are attached to coils. Imagine a car’s radiator–this works very much in the same way. The hot water heats the coils, and cold air is blown over the coils. This is called heat transfer: This way the cold air becomes hot, and the hot water becomes cold again. That hot air blows through vents to heat a home, an office, or a building. Then the cycle repeats itself: The sun’s energy warms cold water, the water warms coils, the coils heat the air. All in a completely renewable form of energy consumption. The sun provides unlimited supplies of energy through direct contact with solar energy collectors.
There are two different ways to collect the sun’s energy. There’s the “flat panel” and the “vacuum tube.” Both are extremely efficient gatherers of this infinite natural resource. The “flat panel” is a flat, dark surface that quickly heats up under direct contact with the sun’s rays. Flat panels are the classic, most recognizable form of solar energy collection. They appear on roofs across the world.
The “vacuum tube” comprises four basic parts that all work together: A glass tube, a vacuum, heat-collecting wings, and an inner tube filled with water. The glass tube houses the entire apparatus. Glass is an optimal way to conduct and absorb the sun’s heat. The glass tube is vacuous. Vacuums remove the conductive heat loss and retain more heat and energy than flat panels. The inner tube running through the “vacuum tube” is flanked by heat-collecting wings. These help to absorb the heat from the vacuum into the water that flows through the inner tube.
Green technology and renewable energy sources are all over the news these days. Ours is a time when oil prices are often erratic. And ours is a world where billions in stimulus dollars are going to researchers, manufacturers, and implementers of renewable energy technologies. Installing a solar heating system updates a building to match the times by joining it to the ranks of the green movement. Because it harnesses renewable sources of energy, the solar heating system therefore produces no greenhouse gases. For any individual, homeowner, or business conscious of the harmful environmental effects of manmade greenhouse gases, this heating system is both a green-friendly and a cost-effective approach to a basic and necessary indoor amenity. Because solar heating does not use oil, gas, or any combustible fuels, it is a particularly financially sound method of harnessing energy. No matter the political climate abroad or the price of oil in distant lands, your heating prices cannot rise, and you will no longer depend on the world-market prices for combustible fuels simply to heat your home and hot water. An investment in a solar heating system has the potential to pay itself off in a matter of years. Remarkably, as the cost of fossil fuels may rise internationally, the worth of your solar system rises, too. And on top of that, any cost of your solar investment may be tax-free. Federal, state, and local rebates are also available. Heating a space with oil requires trucking in fuel every season, then possibly consuming that whole supply over the winter, only to repeat the process again the next year. Natural gas costs a heavy price, too. You pay for it as you use it. When these energy sources are depleted, they call for the expenditure of additional funds to renew them. Heating a home with fossil fuels is obviously expensive, but it also exacerbates greenhouse gases and encourages the continuous exploitation of the earth’s limited resources. A solar heating system takes advantage of the unlimited natural resource of the sun without any environmentally harmful bi-products.
Solar energy collectors soak up the energy from direct sunlight. That energy is used to warm up cold water. That water, now hot from this process, is pumped into a series of tubes that are attached to coils. Imagine a car’s radiator–this works very much in the same way. The hot water heats the coils, and cold air is blown over the coils. This is called heat transfer: This way the cold air becomes hot, and the hot water becomes cold again. That hot air blows through vents to heat a home, an office, or a building. Then the cycle repeats itself: The sun’s energy warms cold water, the water warms coils, the coils heat the air. All in a completely renewable form of energy consumption. The sun provides unlimited supplies of energy through direct contact with solar energy collectors.
There are two different ways to collect the sun’s energy. There’s the “flat panel” and the “vacuum tube.” Both are extremely efficient gatherers of this infinite natural resource. The “flat panel” is a flat, dark surface that quickly heats up under direct contact with the sun’s rays. Flat panels are the classic, most recognizable form of solar energy collection. They appear on roofs across the world.
The “vacuum tube” comprises four basic parts that all work together: A glass tube, a vacuum, heat-collecting wings, and an inner tube filled with water. The glass tube houses the entire apparatus. Glass is an optimal way to conduct and absorb the sun’s heat. The glass tube is vacuous. Vacuums remove the conductive heat loss and retain more heat and energy than flat panels. The inner tube running through the “vacuum tube” is flanked by heat-collecting wings. These help to absorb the heat from the vacuum into the water that flows through the inner tube.
Green technology and renewable energy sources are all over the news these days. Ours is a time when oil prices are often erratic. And ours is a world where billions in stimulus dollars are going to researchers, manufacturers, and implementers of renewable energy technologies. Installing a solar heating system updates a building to match the times by joining it to the ranks of the green movement. Because it harnesses renewable sources of energy, the solar heating system therefore produces no greenhouse gases. For any individual, homeowner, or business conscious of the harmful environmental effects of manmade greenhouse gases, this heating system is both a green-friendly and a cost-effective approach to a basic and necessary indoor amenity. Because solar heating does not use oil, gas, or any combustible fuels, it is a particularly financially sound method of harnessing energy. No matter the political climate abroad or the price of oil in distant lands, your heating prices cannot rise, and you will no longer depend on the world-market prices for combustible fuels simply to heat your home and hot water. An investment in a solar heating system has the potential to pay itself off in a matter of years. Remarkably, as the cost of fossil fuels may rise internationally, the worth of your solar system rises, too. And on top of that, any cost of your solar investment may be tax-free. Federal, state, and local rebates are also available. Heating a space with oil requires trucking in fuel every season, then possibly consuming that whole supply over the winter, only to repeat the process again the next year. Natural gas costs a heavy price, too. You pay for it as you use it. When these energy sources are depleted, they call for the expenditure of additional funds to renew them. Heating a home with fossil fuels is obviously expensive, but it also exacerbates greenhouse gases and encourages the continuous exploitation of the earth’s limited resources. A solar heating system takes advantage of the unlimited natural resource of the sun without any environmentally harmful bi-products.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Desalination in the GULF
If you live in this part of the world, you have to survive on desalinated water from the sea. There is no river here. There is a creek in Dubai, like river but from the sea to the inland. It is seawater.
With the increasing consumption as well as lots of wastage, the sea water desalination has impact on the environment as well as 'hairs', lots of men have become bald due to the hard water...
Desalination: Facts and procedures
1. What is desalination and brine?
The overall procedure of sea water desalination is similar in most cases. Seawater is pumped into the plant and pre-treated to meet water quality requirements. The pre-treated water enters the
desalination unit and is divided into a highly pure product (drinking water) and waste water, commonly called brine. This by-product of the desalination process is concentrated salt water containing a mixture of chemicals used during plant operation and is pumped back into the sea.
2. Desalination technologies:
More than 90 per cent of all desalinated water in the Gulf comes from thermal desalination. Large plants use steam from power plant turbines as a heat source for desalination. Thermal processes use heat to evaporate water, leaving the salt behind in the brine. More than 80 per cent of desalinated water comes from Multi Stage Flash (MSF). Membrane processes use pressure or electricity to force water through a semipermeable membrane which blocks salts and other dissolved solids. The membrane technology is Reverse Osmosis (RO) which accounts for 6 per cent of the production.
3. Daily discharge loads into the Arabian
Gulf from desalination plants in the region:
23.7 tons — chlorine
64.9 tons — antiscalants
300 kilograms — copper
4. Arabian Gulf main producers of desalinated seawater:
Saudi Arabia — 25 per cent of the worldwide seawater desalination capacity, of which 11 per cent is in the Gulf, 12 per cent is in the Red Sea, and 2 per cent is unaccounted for.
United Arab Emirates — 23 per cent
Kuwait — 6 per cent.
5. Impact: The concentrations of different pre-treatment chemicals in Multi Stage Flash and Reverse Osmosis effluents are critical for the marine environment.
With the increasing consumption as well as lots of wastage, the sea water desalination has impact on the environment as well as 'hairs', lots of men have become bald due to the hard water...
Desalination: Facts and procedures
1. What is desalination and brine?
The overall procedure of sea water desalination is similar in most cases. Seawater is pumped into the plant and pre-treated to meet water quality requirements. The pre-treated water enters the
desalination unit and is divided into a highly pure product (drinking water) and waste water, commonly called brine. This by-product of the desalination process is concentrated salt water containing a mixture of chemicals used during plant operation and is pumped back into the sea.
2. Desalination technologies:
More than 90 per cent of all desalinated water in the Gulf comes from thermal desalination. Large plants use steam from power plant turbines as a heat source for desalination. Thermal processes use heat to evaporate water, leaving the salt behind in the brine. More than 80 per cent of desalinated water comes from Multi Stage Flash (MSF). Membrane processes use pressure or electricity to force water through a semipermeable membrane which blocks salts and other dissolved solids. The membrane technology is Reverse Osmosis (RO) which accounts for 6 per cent of the production.
3. Daily discharge loads into the Arabian
Gulf from desalination plants in the region:
23.7 tons — chlorine
64.9 tons — antiscalants
300 kilograms — copper
4. Arabian Gulf main producers of desalinated seawater:
Saudi Arabia — 25 per cent of the worldwide seawater desalination capacity, of which 11 per cent is in the Gulf, 12 per cent is in the Red Sea, and 2 per cent is unaccounted for.
United Arab Emirates — 23 per cent
Kuwait — 6 per cent.
5. Impact: The concentrations of different pre-treatment chemicals in Multi Stage Flash and Reverse Osmosis effluents are critical for the marine environment.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Awards for Photovoltaic Technology Incubator Program
The U. S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is seeking project proposals as part of recently announced DOE funding to accelerate commercialization of solar energy technologies. NREL also announced partnerships with 13 U.S. small solar businesses, which have the capability to enter the market by 2012.
PV Technology Incubator Proposals Sought
The Photovoltaic (PV) Technology Incubator program represents a significant partnering with U.S. industry to help speed commercialization of PV research and development to meet aggressive cost and installation goals.
“The PV Incubator is focused on enabling small business in the U.S. to accelerate prototype and pre-commercial technologies toward pilot and full-scale production,” said NREL Senior Supervisor Martha Symko-Davies. “The companies are partnered with experts and capabilities at NREL, which reduces project implementation risk, quickly overcomes R&D hurdles, and increases the likelihood that the performance and reliability objectives can be achieved.”
The anticipated program funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is $9 million. The subcontracts, up to $3 million each, will be awarded as 18 month phased subcontracts. Go to http://www.nrel.gov/business_opportunities/solicitations_rfps.html for proposal information.
The primary objective of the PV Incubator program is to shorten the timeline for companies to transition prototype and pre-commercial PV technologies into pilot and full-scale manufacture. Applications are expected to focus on a limited number of high impact areas that are on the critical path to scaling-up technology. The minimum entrance criteria are demonstrated PV cells or process lab devices or modules. The successful exit criteria is for prototype modules and pilot production demonstration at greater than 3 megawatts a year.
PV Technology Pre-Incubator Awards Announced
The PV Technology Pre-Incubator program bridges the gap between the concept verification stage of a technology and the development of a commercially viable prototype. This program is aimed at small businesses that have the capability to enter the market by 2012, enabling electricity close to grid parity. The rapid research and development advancements of these innovative technology concepts will result in prototypes with projected manufacturing costs of less than $1/watt. The total anticipated subcontracts under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is $6 million. A detailed, state-by-state list of proposals selected for negotiations follows.
California
Banyan Energy, Inc. (Kensington) will develop a flat Aggregated Total Internal Reflection (ATIR) optic for moderate concentrating photovoltaic systems.This innovative design will result in a high optical efficiency concentrator with a uniquely low profile. $500,000
Crystal Solar, Inc.(Santa Clara) will develop thin crystal silicon solar cells on ceramic substrates. This advance aims to reduce the manufacturing cost of silicon by reducing the losses associated with wafer generation and reducing the thickness of the resulting silicon wafer. $500,000
International Solar Electric Technology, Inc. (Chatsworth) will develop low cost, monolithically integrated, printed CuInGaSe2 modules on flexible stainless steel substrates.This project is working towards the realization of high performance, flexible Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CuInGaSe2) with low cost manufacturing techniques and possessing the benefits of monolithic module integration. $456,006
TiSol, LLC (Pasadena) will develop a viable technology for thin film deposition in open atmosphere using a unique flame synthesis methodology. This technological development targets reducing the cost and increasing the deployment of dye sensitized solar cells through a reel-to-reel fabrication of layers within the dye cell. $499,100
Colorado
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (Littleton) will develop Zinc Magnesium Oxide (ZnMgO) window layers enabling high performance mid-bandgap CuInGaSe2 on polyimide modules. This offers the potential to increase the performance of the CuInGaSe2 device through an increase in the absorber bandgap.This work is also an important step towards the realization of CuInGaSe2–based tandem cells. $315,037
Illinois
EPIR Technologies, Inc. (Bolingbrook) will develop a high efficiency single-crystal Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) solar cell.The goal of the activity is to lay the foundation and determine the viability of a CdTe-based solution to high efficiency concentrating photovoltaic solar cells. $500,000
MicroLink Devices (Niles) will develop high efficiency, low-cost, multijunction solar cells based on epitaxial liftoff and wafer bonding. These approaches are combined to create innovative cell architecture with the potential to surpass the current state-of-the-art in high efficiency multijunction solar cells. $500,000
Massachusetts
1366 Technologies, Inc. (Lexington) will develop a kerfless wafering technique for the production of silicon wafers.This wafer production process aims to reduce costs through a more efficient production of silicon wafers. $500,000
Lightwave Power Inc. (Cambridge), together with Iowa State University, will develop a novel roll-to-roll photonic-enhanced thin film solar cell. This new approach will significantly raise performance levels through increased long wavelength absorption resulting in increased current collection. $450,000
Vanguard Solar, Inc. (Sudbury) will develop a novel nanostructured II/VI semiconductor-based thin-film photovoltaic cell.The outcome of this will be a manufacturable thin-film device with low cost and high efficiency. $500,000
North Carolina
Semprius, Inc. (Durham) will optimize the primary and secondary optics for a transfer-printed microcell-based concentrating photovoltaic module. This approach combines the benefits of unique-to-solar manufacturing techniques with the performance and operational benefits of microcell concentrating photovoltaics. $500,000
Oregon
SpectraWatt, Inc. (Hillsboro) will improve silicon solar cell efficiency through the use of an additive nano-structured material.This project aims to increase the performance of standard multicrystalline-Silicon solar cells solar cells through increased current collection in a way that does not require modifications to existing manufacturing process streams. $500,000
Virginia
Luna Innovations Incorporated (Danville) will investigate new acceptor molecules for the development of improved high efficiency organic photovoltaic cells.In combination with advances in donor materials, this project aims to achieve record organic photovoltaic solar cell efficiencies. $499,994
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
PV Technology Incubator Proposals Sought
The Photovoltaic (PV) Technology Incubator program represents a significant partnering with U.S. industry to help speed commercialization of PV research and development to meet aggressive cost and installation goals.
“The PV Incubator is focused on enabling small business in the U.S. to accelerate prototype and pre-commercial technologies toward pilot and full-scale production,” said NREL Senior Supervisor Martha Symko-Davies. “The companies are partnered with experts and capabilities at NREL, which reduces project implementation risk, quickly overcomes R&D hurdles, and increases the likelihood that the performance and reliability objectives can be achieved.”
The anticipated program funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is $9 million. The subcontracts, up to $3 million each, will be awarded as 18 month phased subcontracts. Go to http://www.nrel.gov/business_opportunities/solicitations_rfps.html for proposal information.
The primary objective of the PV Incubator program is to shorten the timeline for companies to transition prototype and pre-commercial PV technologies into pilot and full-scale manufacture. Applications are expected to focus on a limited number of high impact areas that are on the critical path to scaling-up technology. The minimum entrance criteria are demonstrated PV cells or process lab devices or modules. The successful exit criteria is for prototype modules and pilot production demonstration at greater than 3 megawatts a year.
PV Technology Pre-Incubator Awards Announced
The PV Technology Pre-Incubator program bridges the gap between the concept verification stage of a technology and the development of a commercially viable prototype. This program is aimed at small businesses that have the capability to enter the market by 2012, enabling electricity close to grid parity. The rapid research and development advancements of these innovative technology concepts will result in prototypes with projected manufacturing costs of less than $1/watt. The total anticipated subcontracts under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is $6 million. A detailed, state-by-state list of proposals selected for negotiations follows.
California
Banyan Energy, Inc. (Kensington) will develop a flat Aggregated Total Internal Reflection (ATIR) optic for moderate concentrating photovoltaic systems.This innovative design will result in a high optical efficiency concentrator with a uniquely low profile. $500,000
Crystal Solar, Inc.(Santa Clara) will develop thin crystal silicon solar cells on ceramic substrates. This advance aims to reduce the manufacturing cost of silicon by reducing the losses associated with wafer generation and reducing the thickness of the resulting silicon wafer. $500,000
International Solar Electric Technology, Inc. (Chatsworth) will develop low cost, monolithically integrated, printed CuInGaSe2 modules on flexible stainless steel substrates.This project is working towards the realization of high performance, flexible Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide (CuInGaSe2) with low cost manufacturing techniques and possessing the benefits of monolithic module integration. $456,006
TiSol, LLC (Pasadena) will develop a viable technology for thin film deposition in open atmosphere using a unique flame synthesis methodology. This technological development targets reducing the cost and increasing the deployment of dye sensitized solar cells through a reel-to-reel fabrication of layers within the dye cell. $499,100
Colorado
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (Littleton) will develop Zinc Magnesium Oxide (ZnMgO) window layers enabling high performance mid-bandgap CuInGaSe2 on polyimide modules. This offers the potential to increase the performance of the CuInGaSe2 device through an increase in the absorber bandgap.This work is also an important step towards the realization of CuInGaSe2–based tandem cells. $315,037
Illinois
EPIR Technologies, Inc. (Bolingbrook) will develop a high efficiency single-crystal Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) solar cell.The goal of the activity is to lay the foundation and determine the viability of a CdTe-based solution to high efficiency concentrating photovoltaic solar cells. $500,000
MicroLink Devices (Niles) will develop high efficiency, low-cost, multijunction solar cells based on epitaxial liftoff and wafer bonding. These approaches are combined to create innovative cell architecture with the potential to surpass the current state-of-the-art in high efficiency multijunction solar cells. $500,000
Massachusetts
1366 Technologies, Inc. (Lexington) will develop a kerfless wafering technique for the production of silicon wafers.This wafer production process aims to reduce costs through a more efficient production of silicon wafers. $500,000
Lightwave Power Inc. (Cambridge), together with Iowa State University, will develop a novel roll-to-roll photonic-enhanced thin film solar cell. This new approach will significantly raise performance levels through increased long wavelength absorption resulting in increased current collection. $450,000
Vanguard Solar, Inc. (Sudbury) will develop a novel nanostructured II/VI semiconductor-based thin-film photovoltaic cell.The outcome of this will be a manufacturable thin-film device with low cost and high efficiency. $500,000
North Carolina
Semprius, Inc. (Durham) will optimize the primary and secondary optics for a transfer-printed microcell-based concentrating photovoltaic module. This approach combines the benefits of unique-to-solar manufacturing techniques with the performance and operational benefits of microcell concentrating photovoltaics. $500,000
Oregon
SpectraWatt, Inc. (Hillsboro) will improve silicon solar cell efficiency through the use of an additive nano-structured material.This project aims to increase the performance of standard multicrystalline-Silicon solar cells solar cells through increased current collection in a way that does not require modifications to existing manufacturing process streams. $500,000
Virginia
Luna Innovations Incorporated (Danville) will investigate new acceptor molecules for the development of improved high efficiency organic photovoltaic cells.In combination with advances in donor materials, this project aims to achieve record organic photovoltaic solar cell efficiencies. $499,994
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Hot City or Global Warming?
An analysis of the historical temperature data for the state of Victoria in Australia, including the city of Melbourne, suggests an Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect but no general warming trend.
Urban Heat Island versus Global Warming – A Study of One Region
By Michael Hammer
CITIES represent concentrations of commerce and energy use. This energy release raises the temperatures in the immediate vicinity. Cities are also areas where there is intense development with extensive masonry constructions, skyscrapers, paved surfaces and little vegetation.
Large masses of masonry and paving store heat during the day and release it at night keeping the night time minimum temperatures significantly higher than they would otherwise be. As a result, cities are usually significantly warmer than nearby rural areas, especially at night. This is termed the urban heat island effect or UHI and it can be very large. For large cities such as New York or Tokyo, the UHI has been reported as raising minimum temperatures by up to 6-8C. Even more modest cities like Melbourne show very significant UHI temperature increases.
More significantly, UHI increases as the size of the city increases and as the level of development rises. Both typically increase with time which means the UHI increases with time. This is exactly similar to the claimed global warming signature.
People comment that they have experienced global warming for themselves. That it is now warmer than it used to be and cite examples such as ice covered puddles in the past which they no longer see today. If you live in a city (as the majority of people do) that is quite probably true. However, what you are experiencing is not necessarily global warming but rather the impact of UHI in your immediate environment. As already stated, the impact can be extremely large – several degrees in large cities. Nor is it necessarily limited to just the city area. If there is a prevailing wind and you are living down wind of the city centre then you will be enveloped in the spreading plume of warmth. So, if we see signs of warming in cities is it UHI or is it evidence of global warming?
UHI has minimal impact on global temperatures because the cities represent such a small fraction of the total area of the total planet. However, it can have a large impact on the estimation of global temperatures because so many of the measuring stations are in cities. These stations will show a temperature rise with time which is the sum of any global heating plus the local UHI heating. If the impact of UHI is not allowed for, the result will be an inflated estimate of global warming. Even worse, many measurement stations which were originally sited in very reasonable locations are, through later developments, now severely impacted by nearby heat source such as an air conditioner waste heat vent or on top of bitumen paving. This is yet another factor in addition to UHI adding to the warming bias.
It is not reasonable to assume that this is allowed for by amalgamating data from a very large number of stations worldwide because many of these sites will be tainted by the same problem. Even worse, tainted city sites will probably have the most comprehensive records. Rural sites are more likely to have incomplete records due to the poorer infrastructure. It is natural to place the greatest reliance on those sites with the most nearly complete data.
The IPCC claimed in the past that one of their corrections to the raw temperature data allows for UHI by applying a linear correction with time amounting to 0.06C per century. However, in the latest revision to the historical global temperature record even this minimal correction has apparently been eliminated.
At the same time, measuring stations that have moved from the city to the airport show lower temperatures at their new location and it is claimed that this needs to be compensated for by elevating the airport readings. This would seem to be clear evidence of bias. The airport readings are lower because the station has moved away from the city UHI. Raising the airport readings, while not adding downwards compensation for UHI, results in an overstatement of the amount of warming. It would be more accurate to lower the city readings to match the airport readings rather than vice versa.
It is interesting to explore this issue by looking at the temperature record for the state I live in – Victoria, Australia. The data presented below comes from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology data base published on their website www.bom.gov.au . The annual average maximum and minimum temperatures have been used and it is worth noting that all these numbers are averages over 30 years so they reasonably reflect climate rather than weather.
Urban Heat Island versus Global Warming – A Study of One Region
By Michael Hammer
CITIES represent concentrations of commerce and energy use. This energy release raises the temperatures in the immediate vicinity. Cities are also areas where there is intense development with extensive masonry constructions, skyscrapers, paved surfaces and little vegetation.
Large masses of masonry and paving store heat during the day and release it at night keeping the night time minimum temperatures significantly higher than they would otherwise be. As a result, cities are usually significantly warmer than nearby rural areas, especially at night. This is termed the urban heat island effect or UHI and it can be very large. For large cities such as New York or Tokyo, the UHI has been reported as raising minimum temperatures by up to 6-8C. Even more modest cities like Melbourne show very significant UHI temperature increases.
More significantly, UHI increases as the size of the city increases and as the level of development rises. Both typically increase with time which means the UHI increases with time. This is exactly similar to the claimed global warming signature.
People comment that they have experienced global warming for themselves. That it is now warmer than it used to be and cite examples such as ice covered puddles in the past which they no longer see today. If you live in a city (as the majority of people do) that is quite probably true. However, what you are experiencing is not necessarily global warming but rather the impact of UHI in your immediate environment. As already stated, the impact can be extremely large – several degrees in large cities. Nor is it necessarily limited to just the city area. If there is a prevailing wind and you are living down wind of the city centre then you will be enveloped in the spreading plume of warmth. So, if we see signs of warming in cities is it UHI or is it evidence of global warming?
UHI has minimal impact on global temperatures because the cities represent such a small fraction of the total area of the total planet. However, it can have a large impact on the estimation of global temperatures because so many of the measuring stations are in cities. These stations will show a temperature rise with time which is the sum of any global heating plus the local UHI heating. If the impact of UHI is not allowed for, the result will be an inflated estimate of global warming. Even worse, many measurement stations which were originally sited in very reasonable locations are, through later developments, now severely impacted by nearby heat source such as an air conditioner waste heat vent or on top of bitumen paving. This is yet another factor in addition to UHI adding to the warming bias.
It is not reasonable to assume that this is allowed for by amalgamating data from a very large number of stations worldwide because many of these sites will be tainted by the same problem. Even worse, tainted city sites will probably have the most comprehensive records. Rural sites are more likely to have incomplete records due to the poorer infrastructure. It is natural to place the greatest reliance on those sites with the most nearly complete data.
The IPCC claimed in the past that one of their corrections to the raw temperature data allows for UHI by applying a linear correction with time amounting to 0.06C per century. However, in the latest revision to the historical global temperature record even this minimal correction has apparently been eliminated.
At the same time, measuring stations that have moved from the city to the airport show lower temperatures at their new location and it is claimed that this needs to be compensated for by elevating the airport readings. This would seem to be clear evidence of bias. The airport readings are lower because the station has moved away from the city UHI. Raising the airport readings, while not adding downwards compensation for UHI, results in an overstatement of the amount of warming. It would be more accurate to lower the city readings to match the airport readings rather than vice versa.
It is interesting to explore this issue by looking at the temperature record for the state I live in – Victoria, Australia. The data presented below comes from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology data base published on their website www.bom.gov.au . The annual average maximum and minimum temperatures have been used and it is worth noting that all these numbers are averages over 30 years so they reasonably reflect climate rather than weather.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Are Wind Farms Hazardous to Human Health?
Over the last few years, the wind energy sector has been experiencing tremendous growth as governments and utilities around the world seek sources of energy that generate reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In Ontario, the province has plans to increase the wind component of its electricity generation from the current 1 percent to 15 percent by 2025.
For the most part the wind energy industry has coasted along with favorable press and public opinion. The industry has had to weather some resistance, particularly pertaining to wildlife impacts (primarily birds and bats) and the consistency and reliability of wind power. Yet these criticisms have not gained enough traction to have a noticeable effect on the growth of the industry, which is being hailed as a source of tens of thousands of potential new jobs in the evolving green economy.
Wind turbines emit inaudible sound waves in the low end of the sound spectrum and rhythmic vibrations caused by the spinning blades. These are suspected to cause a host of adverse health effects in some people that live in close proximity to the turbines, including:
insomnia,
headaches,
acute hypertensive episodes,
cardiac arrhythmia,
heart palpitations,
high blood pressure,
the sensation of bugs crawling on the skin,
humming in the head,
continuous ringing in the ears,
dizziness
The condition has been given a name: “Wind Turbine Syndrome”, coined by Dr. Nina Pierpont, the subject of her recently published 150-page book. Wind Concerns Ontario is a coalition of 32 individual anti-wind citizens’ groups that have joined together from across the province of Ontario; they have named Wind Turbine Syndrome as one of their key focus areas. Both Dr. Pierpont and Wind Concerns Ontario recommend a minimum 2 kilometer setback for wind turbines from residential homes, along the lines with what is recommended by the World Health Organization (1.5 kilometers).
The assignment of setback distances in Ontario is currently governed by municipalities (the province will be taking control under its new Green Energy Act) with most setbacks being under 500 meters. Given the mounting evidence indicating adverse effects that wind turbines can have on human health, it is critical that more research be conducted into adequate setback distances. With the emphasis that the world is placing on wind energy as a critical piece of our future energy puzzle, setback distance research would be time and money well spent to ensure that wind power grows in harmony with the environment and its citizens.
For the most part the wind energy industry has coasted along with favorable press and public opinion. The industry has had to weather some resistance, particularly pertaining to wildlife impacts (primarily birds and bats) and the consistency and reliability of wind power. Yet these criticisms have not gained enough traction to have a noticeable effect on the growth of the industry, which is being hailed as a source of tens of thousands of potential new jobs in the evolving green economy.
Wind turbines emit inaudible sound waves in the low end of the sound spectrum and rhythmic vibrations caused by the spinning blades. These are suspected to cause a host of adverse health effects in some people that live in close proximity to the turbines, including:
insomnia,
headaches,
acute hypertensive episodes,
cardiac arrhythmia,
heart palpitations,
high blood pressure,
the sensation of bugs crawling on the skin,
humming in the head,
continuous ringing in the ears,
dizziness
The condition has been given a name: “Wind Turbine Syndrome”, coined by Dr. Nina Pierpont, the subject of her recently published 150-page book. Wind Concerns Ontario is a coalition of 32 individual anti-wind citizens’ groups that have joined together from across the province of Ontario; they have named Wind Turbine Syndrome as one of their key focus areas. Both Dr. Pierpont and Wind Concerns Ontario recommend a minimum 2 kilometer setback for wind turbines from residential homes, along the lines with what is recommended by the World Health Organization (1.5 kilometers).
The assignment of setback distances in Ontario is currently governed by municipalities (the province will be taking control under its new Green Energy Act) with most setbacks being under 500 meters. Given the mounting evidence indicating adverse effects that wind turbines can have on human health, it is critical that more research be conducted into adequate setback distances. With the emphasis that the world is placing on wind energy as a critical piece of our future energy puzzle, setback distance research would be time and money well spent to ensure that wind power grows in harmony with the environment and its citizens.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Solar Boiler Heaters - 7 Reasons To Build Your Own
1. They work all year round.
If you are worried about solar water heater work only during summer and no. The current solar water heaters are fully able to work all year around. With the installation of one, sure to offer year-round hot water. Not only that you will not have to worry about blackouts affecting your supply of hot water.
2. Easily reduced to 33% on your electricity bill.
Compared with conventional heating systems, solar water heater easily reduces your electricity bill by 33 percent. Conventional heating systems using electricity or other fuels to heat water, but freely available solar energy is used, and therefore helps to reduce the bill.
3. Solar water heaters are effective.
Because it used solar energy, which is available in abundance, and FREE, it is very effective, easy to install and gives you value for money.
4. Save and preserve natural resources.
Our natural resources are a layer at a faster rate than ever. Installation of solar water heater is the first step you take to become green, to save and preserve our planet.
5. Breathe Easy with zero pollution.
No harmful emissions to be worried by the solar boiler. Unlike other conventional fuels that cause pollution or noise or air. This means not only us but also future generations, can also breathe easier and lead a healthy life.
6. Sustainable and does not require much maintenance.
They are durable, last a long time and requires very little or almost no maintenance. Not only that, even if other energy cost increases for fuel costs for heating your water will be the same, which is practically zero in the long term.
7. Building Your Own Solar water is cheaper.
Commercial water heater costs more than $ 1000, while construction of their own solar water costs will work to less than $ 100, which does not need to say you save a lot of money.
If you are worried about solar water heater work only during summer and no. The current solar water heaters are fully able to work all year around. With the installation of one, sure to offer year-round hot water. Not only that you will not have to worry about blackouts affecting your supply of hot water.
2. Easily reduced to 33% on your electricity bill.
Compared with conventional heating systems, solar water heater easily reduces your electricity bill by 33 percent. Conventional heating systems using electricity or other fuels to heat water, but freely available solar energy is used, and therefore helps to reduce the bill.
3. Solar water heaters are effective.
Because it used solar energy, which is available in abundance, and FREE, it is very effective, easy to install and gives you value for money.
4. Save and preserve natural resources.
Our natural resources are a layer at a faster rate than ever. Installation of solar water heater is the first step you take to become green, to save and preserve our planet.
5. Breathe Easy with zero pollution.
No harmful emissions to be worried by the solar boiler. Unlike other conventional fuels that cause pollution or noise or air. This means not only us but also future generations, can also breathe easier and lead a healthy life.
6. Sustainable and does not require much maintenance.
They are durable, last a long time and requires very little or almost no maintenance. Not only that, even if other energy cost increases for fuel costs for heating your water will be the same, which is practically zero in the long term.
7. Building Your Own Solar water is cheaper.
Commercial water heater costs more than $ 1000, while construction of their own solar water costs will work to less than $ 100, which does not need to say you save a lot of money.
Maglev wind turbine - is this the future of wind power?
Levitating vertical axis wind turbines might become the solution for the ever growing demand for electricity. Let’s revisit the concept in a few lines.
Levitation is achieved by using permanent magnets placed in strategic locations to provide “lift” for the vertical axis turbine. This allows the turbine to hover above the ground (levitate), and thus produce no friction while it spins. Friction is one of the most influencing forces that reduce the power output of any machine with moving parts. Eliminating this reduction factor can greatly improve a machines efficiency.
This is the Maglev turbine’s advantage (Maglev = magnetic levitation). According to some sources, a single large Maglev turbine can output as much as a gigawatt of power (enough for about 750,000 homes), which is an enormous increase over the largest conventional wind turbine capacity today of about 6 MW. Operating wind speeds range from low (1.5 m/s or ) to very high (40 m/s), making this wind turbine an efficient power generator across a wide range of wind speeds. Once commercialized, Maglev turbines could increase power generation by 20% compared to conventional turbines, while reducing operating costs by as much as 50%!
Currently, there are projects being developed in Northern China by ZK Energy, where Maglev turbines are to be used for rural area electrification. There is now news whether anything has been completed yet.
Full Permanent Magnetic Suspension Wind Power Generators, as they are also called, represent a very promising future for wind power generation. It remains to be seen how the machines actually perform in actual installations. Requiring a relatively small area of land for operations, about 100 acres, these wind power generators have another advantage over conventional wind turbines - they take up less space, so there is less negative impact on the surrounding landscape.
Levitation is achieved by using permanent magnets placed in strategic locations to provide “lift” for the vertical axis turbine. This allows the turbine to hover above the ground (levitate), and thus produce no friction while it spins. Friction is one of the most influencing forces that reduce the power output of any machine with moving parts. Eliminating this reduction factor can greatly improve a machines efficiency.
This is the Maglev turbine’s advantage (Maglev = magnetic levitation). According to some sources, a single large Maglev turbine can output as much as a gigawatt of power (enough for about 750,000 homes), which is an enormous increase over the largest conventional wind turbine capacity today of about 6 MW. Operating wind speeds range from low (1.5 m/s or ) to very high (40 m/s), making this wind turbine an efficient power generator across a wide range of wind speeds. Once commercialized, Maglev turbines could increase power generation by 20% compared to conventional turbines, while reducing operating costs by as much as 50%!
Currently, there are projects being developed in Northern China by ZK Energy, where Maglev turbines are to be used for rural area electrification. There is now news whether anything has been completed yet.
Full Permanent Magnetic Suspension Wind Power Generators, as they are also called, represent a very promising future for wind power generation. It remains to be seen how the machines actually perform in actual installations. Requiring a relatively small area of land for operations, about 100 acres, these wind power generators have another advantage over conventional wind turbines - they take up less space, so there is less negative impact on the surrounding landscape.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Solar power offers tax incentives
It's tax season, so it was appropriate that the March meeting of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association-Alamogordo Chapter focused on tax incentives available for solar.
The lead speaker at the meeting held Thursday in the Alamogordo Public Library's Sacramento Room was Leslie Lamb of Liberty Tax Service of Alamogordo.
"You have some really awesome tax incentives in the state of New Mexico," said Lamb, who moved here 18 months ago from Iowa. "We're going to build a home, and we wouldn't do it without solar.
"Talking about energy-efficiency, you always start with easy-to-do things, like switching from conventional light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs.
"Consider investing in high-efficiency appliances, which will save energy and money in the long run. Upgrade your insulation. Add weather stripping and caulking, low-flow showerheads and water-heater wraps."
Lamb said there are energy-saver rebates for cycling off your swamp coolers at certain times of the day. She said information on the Power Savers program is available at (866) 471-7906, and that the PNM Energy Efficiency Program Hotline is (866) REBATES (732-2837).
For information available on the Web, go to www.energystar.gov, then to Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency in the lower left of the page. Library patrons who are not online can access computers at the Alamogordo and Tularosa public libraries.
Lamb said she had waded through most of the 407 pages of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, "which is a great summary of the federal tax credits available to homeowners for 2009 and 2010."
There is one total federal tax credit of $1,500 available over two years for each tax return filed, "so basically you can spend up to $5,000 during this two-year period on a single improvement, or multiple improvements, and get 30 percent, or $1,500, back as a tax credit. Save your receipts for certification," she said.
There are two categories of improvements that are eligible for tax credits, Lamb said. The first is available for 30 percent of the cost, up to $1,500 total credit in 2009-2010 for existing homes and primary residences only, for windows and doors, insulation, roofs both metal and asphalt, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, non-solar water heaters and biomass stoves.
The second category is of tax credits is available at 30 percent of the cost, with no upper cost limit through 2016, for existing homes, including vacation homes and rentals and new construction. This category includes fuel cells, geo-thermal heat pumps, photovoltaic solar panel systems, small wind energy systems and solar water heaters.
"Since tax laws are complicated and ever-evolving, I suggest you contact competent advisors before investing in any improvements," Lamb said.
The audience for these meetings is very knowledgeable. Safi Harnett, a retired teacher, was one of those who commented favorably on the Solar Rights Law. Basically, that means that after a system is installed and before a neighbor goes for a building permit, it prevents structures being built next door that would shade your system, and therefore negate its effects.
Lamb handed out information that included 10 Web sites for federal and state credits, the Solar Market Development Income Tax Credit, Net Metering, the PNM Photovoltaic Buyback Program, pending legislation and other resources.
"The best single one is the EnergyStar site, and that is not the one with 407 pages," she said.
New Mexico Solar Energy Association-Alamogordo Chapter program director Jay Harrell said the next meeting will feature Xavier Ruiz of Southwest Home Energy Raters. "They come and rate homes for Energy Star certification. That's an EPA program, just like rating appliances," he said.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16, at the Alamogordo Public Library. Harrell said all those interested in learning more about solar energy are invited to attend.
The lead speaker at the meeting held Thursday in the Alamogordo Public Library's Sacramento Room was Leslie Lamb of Liberty Tax Service of Alamogordo.
"You have some really awesome tax incentives in the state of New Mexico," said Lamb, who moved here 18 months ago from Iowa. "We're going to build a home, and we wouldn't do it without solar.
"Talking about energy-efficiency, you always start with easy-to-do things, like switching from conventional light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs.
"Consider investing in high-efficiency appliances, which will save energy and money in the long run. Upgrade your insulation. Add weather stripping and caulking, low-flow showerheads and water-heater wraps."
Lamb said there are energy-saver rebates for cycling off your swamp coolers at certain times of the day. She said information on the Power Savers program is available at (866) 471-7906, and that the PNM Energy Efficiency Program Hotline is (866) REBATES (732-2837).
For information available on the Web, go to www.energystar.gov, then to Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency in the lower left of the page. Library patrons who are not online can access computers at the Alamogordo and Tularosa public libraries.
Lamb said she had waded through most of the 407 pages of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, "which is a great summary of the federal tax credits available to homeowners for 2009 and 2010."
There is one total federal tax credit of $1,500 available over two years for each tax return filed, "so basically you can spend up to $5,000 during this two-year period on a single improvement, or multiple improvements, and get 30 percent, or $1,500, back as a tax credit. Save your receipts for certification," she said.
There are two categories of improvements that are eligible for tax credits, Lamb said. The first is available for 30 percent of the cost, up to $1,500 total credit in 2009-2010 for existing homes and primary residences only, for windows and doors, insulation, roofs both metal and asphalt, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, non-solar water heaters and biomass stoves.
The second category is of tax credits is available at 30 percent of the cost, with no upper cost limit through 2016, for existing homes, including vacation homes and rentals and new construction. This category includes fuel cells, geo-thermal heat pumps, photovoltaic solar panel systems, small wind energy systems and solar water heaters.
"Since tax laws are complicated and ever-evolving, I suggest you contact competent advisors before investing in any improvements," Lamb said.
The audience for these meetings is very knowledgeable. Safi Harnett, a retired teacher, was one of those who commented favorably on the Solar Rights Law. Basically, that means that after a system is installed and before a neighbor goes for a building permit, it prevents structures being built next door that would shade your system, and therefore negate its effects.
Lamb handed out information that included 10 Web sites for federal and state credits, the Solar Market Development Income Tax Credit, Net Metering, the PNM Photovoltaic Buyback Program, pending legislation and other resources.
"The best single one is the EnergyStar site, and that is not the one with 407 pages," she said.
New Mexico Solar Energy Association-Alamogordo Chapter program director Jay Harrell said the next meeting will feature Xavier Ruiz of Southwest Home Energy Raters. "They come and rate homes for Energy Star certification. That's an EPA program, just like rating appliances," he said.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16, at the Alamogordo Public Library. Harrell said all those interested in learning more about solar energy are invited to attend.
New local company promotes "green" construction and solar energy
A new company has recently been formed to provide a full range of renewable energy solutions for residential and commercial system users.
Four Elements Energy, Inc. provides on-staff licensed architectural services for green building and net-zero building design, green energy consulting, system design, project management, site assessments, and installation services.
The company installs solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, and wind turbine systems. They also conduct residential and commercial solar/wind site and energy efficiency assessments.
Principal owners Dan Alway, Lloyd LeZotte and Art Toy have modeled the company's goals and principles after their personal and professional commitments to a cleaner, greener world.
Alway lives off-grid near Gobles, and participated in the rebirth of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association.
Alway has been installing renewable energy systems for over 36 years, as well as teaching solar energy courses at the Kalamazoo Math & Science Center. He has designed and manufactured custom built high efficiency low energy direct current refrigerators for off-grid homes and boats for clients around the world.
He has given presentations on energy conservation and renewable energy topics throughout the Midwest.
LeZotte, a licensed architect and licensed builder, has over 24 years of experience in building design and construction in Michigan as well as having installed wind turbines, solar electric systems and solar thermal systems for homes.
LeZotte is NABCEP certified in solar photovoltaic systems. He is currently designing a two-story Earth-sheltered home with passive and active solar, wind energy and masonry stone heat.
He also drives a Volkswagon Beetle powered with bio-diesel and is an active member of the Bio-diesel Coop of Kalamazoo.
Toy, has over 26 years of experience in research, development, production, manufacturing and project management as well as having assisted with Pfizer, Inc.'s Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency initiatives.
He also has 13 years of military leadership experience, with his most recent assignment as an artillery officer with the Michigan Army National Guard.
Toy is NABCEP certified in Solar Photovoltaic Systems.
A virtual tour of Toy's on-grid home equipped with a 10KW wind turbine, solar water heater and geothermal heating/cooling system is available online as part of CNN's "Planet in Peril" series. The link to the virtual tour is at: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-9941
Four Elements Energy, Inc. provides on-staff licensed architectural services for green building and net-zero building design, green energy consulting, system design, project management, site assessments, and installation services.
The company installs solar electric systems, solar thermal systems, and wind turbine systems. They also conduct residential and commercial solar/wind site and energy efficiency assessments.
Principal owners Dan Alway, Lloyd LeZotte and Art Toy have modeled the company's goals and principles after their personal and professional commitments to a cleaner, greener world.
Alway lives off-grid near Gobles, and participated in the rebirth of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association.
Alway has been installing renewable energy systems for over 36 years, as well as teaching solar energy courses at the Kalamazoo Math & Science Center. He has designed and manufactured custom built high efficiency low energy direct current refrigerators for off-grid homes and boats for clients around the world.
He has given presentations on energy conservation and renewable energy topics throughout the Midwest.
LeZotte, a licensed architect and licensed builder, has over 24 years of experience in building design and construction in Michigan as well as having installed wind turbines, solar electric systems and solar thermal systems for homes.
LeZotte is NABCEP certified in solar photovoltaic systems. He is currently designing a two-story Earth-sheltered home with passive and active solar, wind energy and masonry stone heat.
He also drives a Volkswagon Beetle powered with bio-diesel and is an active member of the Bio-diesel Coop of Kalamazoo.
Toy, has over 26 years of experience in research, development, production, manufacturing and project management as well as having assisted with Pfizer, Inc.'s Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency initiatives.
He also has 13 years of military leadership experience, with his most recent assignment as an artillery officer with the Michigan Army National Guard.
Toy is NABCEP certified in Solar Photovoltaic Systems.
A virtual tour of Toy's on-grid home equipped with a 10KW wind turbine, solar water heater and geothermal heating/cooling system is available online as part of CNN's "Planet in Peril" series. The link to the virtual tour is at: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-9941
Solar group, local firms seek faster permitting process
A proposed state law would institute a standard statewide permitting system for the solar industry, bypassing local governments’ various procedures and fees which hurt local solar companies’ bottom line.
The issue: Some Central Florida city and county governments require solar companies to pull — and pay for — multiple permits to install one solar panel system, which means the need for multiple inspections. As a result, that can turn a simple eight-hour installation into a three-week ordeal and drive up costs.
The proposed committee bill — PCB EUP 09-03–Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency sponsored by Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, chairman of the state’s Energy and Utilities Policy Committee — would simplify things.
Instead, it would require a single permit, a single permit application and a single fee for the installation of a single system. It also would require local governments to charge a base fee for a permit based on the time it takes to review the application and install the system.
Seminole County and the city of Orlando have some of the toughest permitting systems to work with in Central Florida, solar companies said, while Orange and Osceola counties have more streamlined systems.
Due to the complexity of installing solar systems on buildings — whether residential or commercial — local governments require solar companies to pull up to three permits per installation, each needing an inspection, for a job that takes minimal time to complete, said Bruce Kershner, executive director of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association, a Longwood-based, 100-member trade group for the solar industry.
And each permit costs contractors money and time, which has to be passed on to the customer, “creating another barrier that doesn’t encourage people to use renewable energy due to high costs.”
Bill Park, owner of Central Florida Solar Inc., a Casselberry-based solar water heater, pool heater and panel installer, said he’s seen permitting fees cost up to $1,800 for solar panel installations — a far cry from the base $50 fee per permit charged for other types of installations such as solar water heaters.
Another problem solar companies face, said Richard Smith, president of Longwood-based Superior Solar Systems LLC, is the fact that many government permit inspectors “are not cross-trained on solar technology that involves many aspects such as plumbing, building and electrical for a solar water heating installation.”
So a solar water system may require up to three permits — plumbing, electrical and building — before a project can get the green light, said Tim Johnson, permitting services director for the city of Orlando. The city charges $50 per permit pulled, which in the case of a solar pool heater could total $150 in fees.
As a result, Park and Smith said their firms may focus their marketing efforts in areas with faster, cheaper permitting procedures if a standard statewide permitting system isn’t put in place.
Orlando and Seminole County say they are working to improve their procedures, and they support the idea of the single permit regulation the bill would create since it encourages Central Floridians to use solar power. “Green practices are extremely important to the city, so we want to see this happen,” said Johnson.
The bill now is in state House committees, but there is no specific date for when it will reach the House or Senate floors.
The issue: Some Central Florida city and county governments require solar companies to pull — and pay for — multiple permits to install one solar panel system, which means the need for multiple inspections. As a result, that can turn a simple eight-hour installation into a three-week ordeal and drive up costs.
The proposed committee bill — PCB EUP 09-03–Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency sponsored by Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, chairman of the state’s Energy and Utilities Policy Committee — would simplify things.
Instead, it would require a single permit, a single permit application and a single fee for the installation of a single system. It also would require local governments to charge a base fee for a permit based on the time it takes to review the application and install the system.
Seminole County and the city of Orlando have some of the toughest permitting systems to work with in Central Florida, solar companies said, while Orange and Osceola counties have more streamlined systems.
Due to the complexity of installing solar systems on buildings — whether residential or commercial — local governments require solar companies to pull up to three permits per installation, each needing an inspection, for a job that takes minimal time to complete, said Bruce Kershner, executive director of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association, a Longwood-based, 100-member trade group for the solar industry.
And each permit costs contractors money and time, which has to be passed on to the customer, “creating another barrier that doesn’t encourage people to use renewable energy due to high costs.”
Bill Park, owner of Central Florida Solar Inc., a Casselberry-based solar water heater, pool heater and panel installer, said he’s seen permitting fees cost up to $1,800 for solar panel installations — a far cry from the base $50 fee per permit charged for other types of installations such as solar water heaters.
Another problem solar companies face, said Richard Smith, president of Longwood-based Superior Solar Systems LLC, is the fact that many government permit inspectors “are not cross-trained on solar technology that involves many aspects such as plumbing, building and electrical for a solar water heating installation.”
So a solar water system may require up to three permits — plumbing, electrical and building — before a project can get the green light, said Tim Johnson, permitting services director for the city of Orlando. The city charges $50 per permit pulled, which in the case of a solar pool heater could total $150 in fees.
As a result, Park and Smith said their firms may focus their marketing efforts in areas with faster, cheaper permitting procedures if a standard statewide permitting system isn’t put in place.
Orlando and Seminole County say they are working to improve their procedures, and they support the idea of the single permit regulation the bill would create since it encourages Central Floridians to use solar power. “Green practices are extremely important to the city, so we want to see this happen,” said Johnson.
The bill now is in state House committees, but there is no specific date for when it will reach the House or Senate floors.
National Geographic Award For Solar Water Heater Advocate
Thomas Culhane, an adjunct professor at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., has been honored among the 2009 National Geographic Emerging Explorers for his work in bringing solar thermal solutions to the poorest neighborhoods of Cairo, Egypt.
Culhane, working with his organization, Solar CITIES, has hosted instructional courses that teach Cairo residents how to build and install rooftop solar water heaters and other renewable energy, water and waste management systems. “I believe Egypt could solve at least half its energy needs by immediately going solar,” says Culhane, whose work has resulted in the installation of more than 30 solar tanks in Cairo’s Coptic Christian and Islamic neighborhoods. “I divide my time between the two, working to bring them together.”
Culhane will receive $10,000 as part of the National Geographic honors, which will be applied towards research and to aid further exploration
Culhane, working with his organization, Solar CITIES, has hosted instructional courses that teach Cairo residents how to build and install rooftop solar water heaters and other renewable energy, water and waste management systems. “I believe Egypt could solve at least half its energy needs by immediately going solar,” says Culhane, whose work has resulted in the installation of more than 30 solar tanks in Cairo’s Coptic Christian and Islamic neighborhoods. “I divide my time between the two, working to bring them together.”
Culhane will receive $10,000 as part of the National Geographic honors, which will be applied towards research and to aid further exploration
Group turns cans into solar power for families
For every donation of 150 aluminum cans, nonprofit organization Green Energy Team makes a solar energy heater and donates it to an underprivileged family.
Derek Granat, a senior at Western Illinois University, had the idea about a year ago and decided to put his thoughts into action. After launching Green Energy Team on Western's campus two months ago, he has seen tremendous results in terms of can donations.
"This doesn't exist anywhere else," Granat said. "I can't find any other organization that takes away people's recycling for free and donates it back to the American people. It does not exist."
Within the week, the University of Illinois will have 20 can collection bins, mostly at fraternity houses, where anyone can donate aluminum cans. Green Energy Team will then pick up the cans and have them either made into solar panels or turned in for 30 cents a pound so they can buy other supplies for the heater.
The cans are painted black in order to better absorb heat, so whatever beverage selection was made will not be displayed.
"It seemed like a really simple job and simple way to help out people," said David Kirmse, Green Energy Team University of Illinois chapter president, and sophomore in LAS. "It's really not hard to sell to people either. 'I'm going to be your garbage man - put your cans in a special bin and I will pick them up.'"
The solar energy heater is meant to be used in conjunction with standard heating systems, not to replace them. Although it all depends on the size of the room, the heater can reduce heating costs on average between 20 and 30 percent.
The panel is installed on the roof of the home, where air is pushed from the room, heated within the panel, and then pushed back into the room as warmer air.
Although the solar heater won't work if the day is completely overcast, most days at least have sunny portions, Granat said.
Because the weather is getting warmer, Green Energy Team is waiting to donate the heaters until the fall. This way they can get an application ready for the families who want the free heater before formally giving away the heaters.
Derek Granat, a senior at Western Illinois University, had the idea about a year ago and decided to put his thoughts into action. After launching Green Energy Team on Western's campus two months ago, he has seen tremendous results in terms of can donations.
"This doesn't exist anywhere else," Granat said. "I can't find any other organization that takes away people's recycling for free and donates it back to the American people. It does not exist."
Within the week, the University of Illinois will have 20 can collection bins, mostly at fraternity houses, where anyone can donate aluminum cans. Green Energy Team will then pick up the cans and have them either made into solar panels or turned in for 30 cents a pound so they can buy other supplies for the heater.
The cans are painted black in order to better absorb heat, so whatever beverage selection was made will not be displayed.
"It seemed like a really simple job and simple way to help out people," said David Kirmse, Green Energy Team University of Illinois chapter president, and sophomore in LAS. "It's really not hard to sell to people either. 'I'm going to be your garbage man - put your cans in a special bin and I will pick them up.'"
The solar energy heater is meant to be used in conjunction with standard heating systems, not to replace them. Although it all depends on the size of the room, the heater can reduce heating costs on average between 20 and 30 percent.
The panel is installed on the roof of the home, where air is pushed from the room, heated within the panel, and then pushed back into the room as warmer air.
Although the solar heater won't work if the day is completely overcast, most days at least have sunny portions, Granat said.
Because the weather is getting warmer, Green Energy Team is waiting to donate the heaters until the fall. This way they can get an application ready for the families who want the free heater before formally giving away the heaters.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Solar Power Capacity Grows 17% in the US, Says Industry Group
The Solar Energy Industries Association issues a report showing the growth in four key solar power segments. The less expensive technologies, such as those for heating water, are more widely installed than expensive ones being pursued by companies that want to sell power to utilities.
by: Ucilia Wang
Bullet Arrow March 19, 2009
Solar power companies installed about 1.26 gigawatts of solar power in the United States in 2008, a 9 percent increase from the 1.16 gigawatts that came online in 2007, reported the Solar Energy Industries Association Thursday.
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The overall solar power production capacity reached about 8.78 gigawatts last year, up 17 percent from 2007, according to SEIA's year-in-review report. The new installations for 2008 included 342 megawatts of solar-panel systems, 139 megawatts (thermal equivalent) of water heaters, 762 megawatts of pool heating (thermal equivalent) systems and 21 megawatts (thermal equivalent) of space heating and cooling equipment.
No commercial concentrating solar-thermal power projects came online last year, the SEIA said. Building a solar-thermal power plant requires a lengthier permitting process, and each project tends to be large in size and located in sparsely populated areas. Solar-thermal companies say they can deliver lots of power cheaply, a claim that has led to many utilities signing deals to buy electricity from power plant developers. SEIA said more than 6 gigawatts of solar-thermal power projects are currently under development, particularly in the Southwest.
A solar thermal power plant uses a field of mirrors to concentrate and direct the sunlight to heat up water and generate steam, which is then fed to a turbine to produce electricity.
Ausra, a Silicon Valley startup, opened a 5-megawatt demonstration plant in California last year as part of its efforts to eventually build a 177-megawatt solar thermal power plant (see Ausra's First U.S. Solar-Thermal Plant Lights Up). Ausra has since changed its business plan to focus on selling equipment for building solar-thermal power plants, though it said it would complete the 177-megawatt project (see Ausra Update: Layoffs and Change of Business Plan Confirmed).
The SEIA looked at solar-panel installations by state and found that California led the country in installing 178.6 megawatts of new systems in 2008, followed by New Jersey with 22.5 megawatts and Colorado with 21.6 megawatts.
The United States boosted its domestic solar cell production as well. Citing numbers from GTM Research, SEIA said solar cell production grew 53 percent to an estimated 414 megawatts in 2008 from 271 megawatts in 2007. The manufacturing capacity also expanded by 65 percent to reach an estimated 685 megawatts in 2008 from 415 megawatts in 2007.
Installation of new solar water heaters grew by 50 percent in 2008 to reach 139 megawatts, the SEIA said. Sunny Hawaii led the country in this category, thanks partly to the high electricity rates for those island residents. In 2008, 37 percent of the new solar water heaters were set to work in Hawaii, followed by 20 percent for Florida and 7 percent for California. Overall, about 25,500 new solar water heaters were put to use last year, the SEIA said. But the country isn't as crazy about those heaters as China – one in 10 homes has one.
The solar-pool heating sector, meanwhile, saw a decline last year. Shipment of heating equipment dropped 3 percent from 785 megawatts in 2007 to 762 megawatts in 2008.
by: Ucilia Wang
Bullet Arrow March 19, 2009
Solar power companies installed about 1.26 gigawatts of solar power in the United States in 2008, a 9 percent increase from the 1.16 gigawatts that came online in 2007, reported the Solar Energy Industries Association Thursday.
Advertisement
The overall solar power production capacity reached about 8.78 gigawatts last year, up 17 percent from 2007, according to SEIA's year-in-review report. The new installations for 2008 included 342 megawatts of solar-panel systems, 139 megawatts (thermal equivalent) of water heaters, 762 megawatts of pool heating (thermal equivalent) systems and 21 megawatts (thermal equivalent) of space heating and cooling equipment.
No commercial concentrating solar-thermal power projects came online last year, the SEIA said. Building a solar-thermal power plant requires a lengthier permitting process, and each project tends to be large in size and located in sparsely populated areas. Solar-thermal companies say they can deliver lots of power cheaply, a claim that has led to many utilities signing deals to buy electricity from power plant developers. SEIA said more than 6 gigawatts of solar-thermal power projects are currently under development, particularly in the Southwest.
A solar thermal power plant uses a field of mirrors to concentrate and direct the sunlight to heat up water and generate steam, which is then fed to a turbine to produce electricity.
Ausra, a Silicon Valley startup, opened a 5-megawatt demonstration plant in California last year as part of its efforts to eventually build a 177-megawatt solar thermal power plant (see Ausra's First U.S. Solar-Thermal Plant Lights Up). Ausra has since changed its business plan to focus on selling equipment for building solar-thermal power plants, though it said it would complete the 177-megawatt project (see Ausra Update: Layoffs and Change of Business Plan Confirmed).
The SEIA looked at solar-panel installations by state and found that California led the country in installing 178.6 megawatts of new systems in 2008, followed by New Jersey with 22.5 megawatts and Colorado with 21.6 megawatts.
The United States boosted its domestic solar cell production as well. Citing numbers from GTM Research, SEIA said solar cell production grew 53 percent to an estimated 414 megawatts in 2008 from 271 megawatts in 2007. The manufacturing capacity also expanded by 65 percent to reach an estimated 685 megawatts in 2008 from 415 megawatts in 2007.
Installation of new solar water heaters grew by 50 percent in 2008 to reach 139 megawatts, the SEIA said. Sunny Hawaii led the country in this category, thanks partly to the high electricity rates for those island residents. In 2008, 37 percent of the new solar water heaters were set to work in Hawaii, followed by 20 percent for Florida and 7 percent for California. Overall, about 25,500 new solar water heaters were put to use last year, the SEIA said. But the country isn't as crazy about those heaters as China – one in 10 homes has one.
The solar-pool heating sector, meanwhile, saw a decline last year. Shipment of heating equipment dropped 3 percent from 785 megawatts in 2007 to 762 megawatts in 2008.
Let the Light Shine In: Toronto Rolls Out Solar Water Heater Program
Toronto's lawmakers are showing an increasing interest in pushing green initiatives. Though far too small and ineffective for some green activists, they are at least a start. As part of the city's green push, it recently launched a pilot program in the Toronto-Danforth ward - the Solar Neighbourhoods project.
The Solar Neighbourhoods project is supported by both the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro, and it's designed to help residents in the ward purchase and install a solar water heater. In the process, help assessing a home's suitability for solar panels, assistance with installation and a kick in of about $1,000 of rebates will be provided.
A representative from the city says 84 homeowners have already paid for and completed the eco-energy audit and solar site assessment. He says the next step for these participants to select an approved contractor to install the system. He expects the first installs to be completed this spring.
This all sounds great - especially the fact that the city's $1,000 incentive comes on top a provincial and federal rebates equaling the same amount. But that $2,000 total still falls WELL short of the amount needed to install an efficient solar water heater. According to Solar Neighbourhood's website, a solar hot water system can cost anywhere between $3,500 and $8,500. While there are definitely better deals out there than the $3,500 quoted by the city, they're still far above what the homeowner would have to shell out.
Consider those costs in the face of the advertised savings of as little as $325 per year. Assuming the city's low-end $3,500 figure, it would take more than ten years and absolutely no maintenance costs for a homeowner to actually see the benefits of a solar hot water system.
Which begs the question: Is the city the serious about this initiative? If so, wouldn't it make more sense to highly subsidize the pilot program, so it would then have a larger sample size to analyze its effectiveness? In my opinion, the city would be better off buying the solar heaters for those interested in the project. If it's a success in producing lower energy bills and little hassle, then the program could be expanded to wards across the city.
As the program stands right now, it seems only those homeowners passionate about environmental and green causes are likely to sign on. Anyone who's slightly skeptical about green initiatives is likely to wait for the up-front costs to come down, or for the city or the provincial and federal governments to increase the value of rebates. In the face of all the recent power outages, there's every reason to believe an increasing number of homeowners would consider new power solutions. But I think the city needs to offer better bait if it wants them to bite.
The Solar Neighbourhoods project is supported by both the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro, and it's designed to help residents in the ward purchase and install a solar water heater. In the process, help assessing a home's suitability for solar panels, assistance with installation and a kick in of about $1,000 of rebates will be provided.
A representative from the city says 84 homeowners have already paid for and completed the eco-energy audit and solar site assessment. He says the next step for these participants to select an approved contractor to install the system. He expects the first installs to be completed this spring.
This all sounds great - especially the fact that the city's $1,000 incentive comes on top a provincial and federal rebates equaling the same amount. But that $2,000 total still falls WELL short of the amount needed to install an efficient solar water heater. According to Solar Neighbourhood's website, a solar hot water system can cost anywhere between $3,500 and $8,500. While there are definitely better deals out there than the $3,500 quoted by the city, they're still far above what the homeowner would have to shell out.
Consider those costs in the face of the advertised savings of as little as $325 per year. Assuming the city's low-end $3,500 figure, it would take more than ten years and absolutely no maintenance costs for a homeowner to actually see the benefits of a solar hot water system.
Which begs the question: Is the city the serious about this initiative? If so, wouldn't it make more sense to highly subsidize the pilot program, so it would then have a larger sample size to analyze its effectiveness? In my opinion, the city would be better off buying the solar heaters for those interested in the project. If it's a success in producing lower energy bills and little hassle, then the program could be expanded to wards across the city.
As the program stands right now, it seems only those homeowners passionate about environmental and green causes are likely to sign on. Anyone who's slightly skeptical about green initiatives is likely to wait for the up-front costs to come down, or for the city or the provincial and federal governments to increase the value of rebates. In the face of all the recent power outages, there's every reason to believe an increasing number of homeowners would consider new power solutions. But I think the city needs to offer better bait if it wants them to bite.
Red tape slows Toronto solar water heaters project: environmentalists
A Toronto pilot project to turn rooftops into solar water heaters is caught in a bureaucratic squeeze at city hall as building officials try to adjust to the demand of green initiatives, according to residents and the city's partner in the project.
The "Solar Neighbourhoods" program, a city initiative along with the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, features the installation of solar water heaters about the size of a coffee table on rooftop panels. The solar hot water systems can run up to $8,000.
So far about 600 families have expressed an interest in the pilot project, but none of the rooftop panels have been installed yet.
Dealing with city and provincial requirements has been a slog, said Mary Pickering, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund's associate director.
"This wasn't in mind when the code was developed, and the code was developed to support other kinds of things, satellite dishes, going on your roof," Pickering told CBC News.
"There's certain limitations that were set for all kinds of reasons, and they're kind of out of step with the reality of what you need in place for solar thermal panels."
Peg Lahn, who lives in the Riverdale neighbourhood, told CBC News she is eager to get started.
"I was sitting in my office looking out of the window at a beautiful sunny day knowing that at home I'm paying for natural gas to heat water in a tank that I'm not using and won't be using for another few hours," she said. "That doesn't make sense to me."
An official with the city's building department said the city is trying to cut through the red tape and streamline requirements for homeowners.
The "Solar Neighbourhoods" program, a city initiative along with the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, features the installation of solar water heaters about the size of a coffee table on rooftop panels. The solar hot water systems can run up to $8,000.
So far about 600 families have expressed an interest in the pilot project, but none of the rooftop panels have been installed yet.
Dealing with city and provincial requirements has been a slog, said Mary Pickering, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund's associate director.
"This wasn't in mind when the code was developed, and the code was developed to support other kinds of things, satellite dishes, going on your roof," Pickering told CBC News.
"There's certain limitations that were set for all kinds of reasons, and they're kind of out of step with the reality of what you need in place for solar thermal panels."
Peg Lahn, who lives in the Riverdale neighbourhood, told CBC News she is eager to get started.
"I was sitting in my office looking out of the window at a beautiful sunny day knowing that at home I'm paying for natural gas to heat water in a tank that I'm not using and won't be using for another few hours," she said. "That doesn't make sense to me."
An official with the city's building department said the city is trying to cut through the red tape and streamline requirements for homeowners.
10 Simple ways to save energy in your home
1. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFL’s
One of the easiest ways to save energy is by ditching your incandescent lightbulbs. According to Lesley Chilcott, founder of Unscrew America and film director of documentary An Inconvenient Truth, CFL’s use 80 percent less energy, last 10 to 15 times longer, and will pay for themselves in five months.
2. Use power strips
Plug your electronic devices into power strips and flip the switch at night when the electronics are not in use. This applies to computers, printers, TVs, DVD players and stereos as well as lights and other appliances. Nancy H. Taylor, author of Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community, says turning your electronics off at night with a power strip can save up to 10 percent on your energy bill.
3. Turn down your water heater
Taylor also suggests turning down the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees F. Additionally, if your water heater is not insulated, wrap an insulating blanket around it.
4. Adjust your heating and cooling
In her book The Green Year, Jodi Helmer recommends setting your thermostat to 68 degrees F. when you’re home and 55 degrees F. at night. Put on a sweater during the day and use an extra blanket at night.
5. Keep your freezer full
Another suggestion from Helmer, a full freezer runs more efficiently than one with only a few items in it. Buy in season fruits and vegetables and freeze them for use all year round. Make an extra casserole or batch of stew and keep it in the freezer for a convenient meal later.
6. Use solar control window film
Replacing your windows with energy-efficient windows carries a high cost. An inexpensive alternative is solar window film – don’t worry, you’ll still have a view. Solar window film is easy to apply, reduces your energy bill, and blocks harmful ultraviolet rays, which can fade your home décor.
7. Flip the switch
Don’t leave the lights on. Though it may be convenient to have the garage light on when you open the door, it doesn’t take that much effort to turn it on. Every time you leave a room, turn the lights off.
8. Love your leftovers
When making dinner, make extra so you can enjoy a few no-cook or low-cook meals. Leftover meats, poultry and fish can be added to salads or used for sandwiches. Extra vegetables can be added to eggs for a quick omelet or to cooked rice for a light lunch.
9. Wash only when full
Instead of doing small loads of dishes or laundry, wait until the washer is full. Doing fewer loads will cut down on energy and water costs.
10. Install weather stripping
Make sure your doors and windows are properly sealed. This will save energy by not letting hot air (in winter) or cool air (in summer) escape.
One of the easiest ways to save energy is by ditching your incandescent lightbulbs. According to Lesley Chilcott, founder of Unscrew America and film director of documentary An Inconvenient Truth, CFL’s use 80 percent less energy, last 10 to 15 times longer, and will pay for themselves in five months.
2. Use power strips
Plug your electronic devices into power strips and flip the switch at night when the electronics are not in use. This applies to computers, printers, TVs, DVD players and stereos as well as lights and other appliances. Nancy H. Taylor, author of Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community, says turning your electronics off at night with a power strip can save up to 10 percent on your energy bill.
3. Turn down your water heater
Taylor also suggests turning down the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees F. Additionally, if your water heater is not insulated, wrap an insulating blanket around it.
4. Adjust your heating and cooling
In her book The Green Year, Jodi Helmer recommends setting your thermostat to 68 degrees F. when you’re home and 55 degrees F. at night. Put on a sweater during the day and use an extra blanket at night.
5. Keep your freezer full
Another suggestion from Helmer, a full freezer runs more efficiently than one with only a few items in it. Buy in season fruits and vegetables and freeze them for use all year round. Make an extra casserole or batch of stew and keep it in the freezer for a convenient meal later.
6. Use solar control window film
Replacing your windows with energy-efficient windows carries a high cost. An inexpensive alternative is solar window film – don’t worry, you’ll still have a view. Solar window film is easy to apply, reduces your energy bill, and blocks harmful ultraviolet rays, which can fade your home décor.
7. Flip the switch
Don’t leave the lights on. Though it may be convenient to have the garage light on when you open the door, it doesn’t take that much effort to turn it on. Every time you leave a room, turn the lights off.
8. Love your leftovers
When making dinner, make extra so you can enjoy a few no-cook or low-cook meals. Leftover meats, poultry and fish can be added to salads or used for sandwiches. Extra vegetables can be added to eggs for a quick omelet or to cooked rice for a light lunch.
9. Wash only when full
Instead of doing small loads of dishes or laundry, wait until the washer is full. Doing fewer loads will cut down on energy and water costs.
10. Install weather stripping
Make sure your doors and windows are properly sealed. This will save energy by not letting hot air (in winter) or cool air (in summer) escape.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Let the Light Shine In: Toronto Rolls Out Solar Water Heater Program
Toronto's lawmakers are showing an increasing interest in pushing green initiatives. Though far too small and ineffective for some green activists, they are at least a start. As part of the city's green push, it recently launched a pilot program in the Toronto-Danforth ward - the Solar Neighbourhoods project.
The Solar Neighbourhoods project is supported by both the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro, and it's designed to help residents in the ward purchase and install a solar water heater. In the process, help assessing a home's suitability for solar panels, assistance with installation and a kick in of about $1,000 of rebates will be provided.
A representative from the city says 84 homeowners have already paid for and completed the eco-energy audit and solar site assessment. He says the next step for these participants to select an approved contractor to install the system. He expects the first installs to be completed this spring.
This all sounds great - especially the fact that the city's $1,000 incentive comes on top a provincial and federal rebates equaling the same amount. But that $2,000 total still falls WELL short of the amount needed to install an efficient solar water heater. According to Solar Neighbourhood's website, a solar hot water system can cost anywhere between $3,500 and $8,500. While there are definitely better deals out there than the $3,500 quoted by the city, they're still far above what the homeowner would have to shell out.
Consider those costs in the face of the advertised savings of as little as $325 per year. Assuming the city's low-end $3,500 figure, it would take more than ten years and absolutely no maintenance costs for a homeowner to actually see the benefits of a solar hot water system.
Which begs the question: Is the city the serious about this initiative? If so, wouldn't it make more sense to highly subsidize the pilot program, so it would then have a larger sample size to analyze its effectiveness? In my opinion, the city would be better off buying the solar heaters for those interested in the project. If it's a success in producing lower energy bills and little hassle, then the program could be expanded to wards across the city.
As the program stands right now, it seems only those homeowners passionate about environmental and green causes are likely to sign on. Anyone who's slightly skeptical about green initiatives is likely to wait for the up-front costs to come down, or for the city or the provincial and federal governments to increase the value of rebates. In the face of all the recent power outages, there's every reason to believe an increasing number of homeowners would consider new power solutions. But I think the city needs to offer better bait if it wants them to bite.
The Solar Neighbourhoods project is supported by both the City of Toronto and Toronto Hydro, and it's designed to help residents in the ward purchase and install a solar water heater. In the process, help assessing a home's suitability for solar panels, assistance with installation and a kick in of about $1,000 of rebates will be provided.
A representative from the city says 84 homeowners have already paid for and completed the eco-energy audit and solar site assessment. He says the next step for these participants to select an approved contractor to install the system. He expects the first installs to be completed this spring.
This all sounds great - especially the fact that the city's $1,000 incentive comes on top a provincial and federal rebates equaling the same amount. But that $2,000 total still falls WELL short of the amount needed to install an efficient solar water heater. According to Solar Neighbourhood's website, a solar hot water system can cost anywhere between $3,500 and $8,500. While there are definitely better deals out there than the $3,500 quoted by the city, they're still far above what the homeowner would have to shell out.
Consider those costs in the face of the advertised savings of as little as $325 per year. Assuming the city's low-end $3,500 figure, it would take more than ten years and absolutely no maintenance costs for a homeowner to actually see the benefits of a solar hot water system.
Which begs the question: Is the city the serious about this initiative? If so, wouldn't it make more sense to highly subsidize the pilot program, so it would then have a larger sample size to analyze its effectiveness? In my opinion, the city would be better off buying the solar heaters for those interested in the project. If it's a success in producing lower energy bills and little hassle, then the program could be expanded to wards across the city.
As the program stands right now, it seems only those homeowners passionate about environmental and green causes are likely to sign on. Anyone who's slightly skeptical about green initiatives is likely to wait for the up-front costs to come down, or for the city or the provincial and federal governments to increase the value of rebates. In the face of all the recent power outages, there's every reason to believe an increasing number of homeowners would consider new power solutions. But I think the city needs to offer better bait if it wants them to bite.
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