Clipmarks | Naomi-K's Solar Tech collection

Solar Desert Land Grab

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:53:17 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: A very interesting use for otherwise less valuable desert land.

That's putting it mildly. A solar land rush is rolling across the desert Southwest. Goldman Sachs, utilities PG&E and FPL, Silicon Valley startups, Israeli and German solar firms, Chevron, speculators - all are scrambling to lock up hundreds of thousands of acres of long-worthless land now coveted as sites for solar power plants.

It's not just a federal-land grab either. Buyers are also vying for private property. Some are paying upwards of $10,000 an acre for desert dirt that a few years ago would have sold for $500.

No doubt the prospect of potential riches is overheating expectations. But California and surrounding states have mandated massive increases in renewable energy in the next few years. That has led some experts at Emerging Energy Research of Cambridge, Mass., to predict that Big Solar could be a $45 billion market by 2020.

Solar Energy in India and the Rise of Global Awareness

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:59:33 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: Very interesting: "per capita emissions." Does this mean that in the future, you could be taxed differently than your neighbour depending on what car you drive, how far you commute, how much you recycle.

It's already slightly that way, for instance you can get tax rebates for buying solar panels.

If it was broken down into 'per capita emissions' though, this would be a very different story.

Clip Source: www.newkerala.com

New Delhi, June 30 : India will put solar energy generation at the forefront of its battle against climate change, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced here Monday while releasing the national action plan on climate change.

Emphasising the primacy of developing solar power, Manmohan Singh promised to "pool our scientific, technical and managerial talent, with sufficient financial resources, to develop solar energy as a source of abundant energy to power our economy and to transform the lives of our people".

He felt success in developing solar energy "will change the face of India. It would also enable India to help change the destinies of people around the world. The plan intends to go beyond government to draw upon these assets".

"Every citizen of this planet must have an equal share of the planetary atmospheric space. Long-term convergence of per capita emissions is, therefore, the only equitable basis for a global compact on climate change.

Solar News Roundup

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:56:59 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: It appears solar and renewable energies are inching closer into the main stream economy. Especially in the building and housing industry.

Clip Source: communicate.usgbc.org

Congress Has Yet to Extend Crucial Tax Incentives

In May, the U.S. House approved critical extensions of several renewable energy and energy efficiency tax credits that recently lapsed or are set to expire at the end of 2008.

$18 billion tax package that would extend: the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings, the tax credits for production of and investment in renewable energy, and the tax credit for energy efficient appliances, among other provisions.

House Committee Considers Incentives for Energy-Efficient Homes and Mortgages

seeks to promote consumer access to energy efficient homes by providing incentives to lenders and banks that offer low-interest mortgages and other benefits.

Maryland Enacts Landmark Green Building Law for Public Facilities and Schools

green building legislation requiring large public buildings and K-12 school projects using state funds to achieve LEED Silver certification or a comparable green building certification system

Tags: solar news

Grid Parity

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:53:43 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: Indeed the 'holy grail' of solar energy. As solar becomes more commercially viable, the speed of its development will also increase.

Clip Source: www.citywire.co.uk

The solar industry is inching towards the holy grail of ‘grid parity’ as solar companies invest aggressively in building capacity, according to sector analyst Dean Cooper.

ReneSola announced a US initial public offering last Friday (29 May) to raise money by selling 8.15 million shares. It will use the $70 million of the money raised to expand its solar wafer manufacturing facilities and a further $100 million to invest in polysilicon manufacturing over the next two years, Cooper said.

Solar Energy Speed to Market

Fri, 30 May 2008 08:11:34 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: A Nuclear Energy Plant takes 10 years to build. Solar Energy is very fast.
This installation: 2.25 kilowatts' worth (enough to power half a home) of their proprietary Lumeta PowerPly modules on a roof in San Leandro in just under 35 minutes.

Clip Source: www.triplepundit.com

The key innovation in the Lumeta PowerPly is the use of standard roofing adhesives to affix the modules to the roof, rather than traditional racking systems. There are two advantages here - one, roofers everywhere work with these adhesives, and so are familiar with their performance and how to use and install them; and two, by eliminating the drilling and bolts associated with a racking system, the contractor not only saves a ton of time (did I mention this installation went up fast?), but also saves the integrity of the roof system: the last thing you should want to pay for is to have someone go up on your roof and put a bunch of holes in it.

Moore's Law and the Cost of Solar Energy

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:22:23 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: Interesting. I like to see patterns emerging in technology trends.
This one makes sense, but the fact is that there are many different types of solar panels, including solar thermal and solar hot water, that are already competitive.

Clip Source: www.fanboy.com

Photovoltaic Moore's Law Will Make Solar Competitive by 2015

"In recent years, global PV production has been increasing at a rate of 50 percent per year, so that accumulated global capacity doubles about every 18 months. The PV Moore’s law states that with every doubling of capacity, PV costs come down by 20 percent. In 2004, installing PV cost about $7 per watt, compared to $1/W for wind, which at that time was beginning to stand on its own feet commercially, Last, year, as recently noted in this blog, average global solar costs had come down to between $4 and $5 per watt, right in line with the PV Moore’s law. Extrapolate those gains out six or seven years, and PV costs will be below $2/W, making photovolatics competitive with 2004 wind."

Tags: solar cost, photovoltaic cost

Cheaper than Coal...

Sat, 24 May 2008 10:37:43 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: Several solar companies have announced that they can produce solar panels that have a cheaper dollars per watt price tag than coal.

While these don't seem to have reached the domestic market yet, it's and interesting development.

Clip Source: www.solartradingpost.com

I think that’s probably the first question that comes into people’s minds when considering buying solar panels for their home.

How much will it cost? And will it save me more than it costs?

To know this, you will need to calculate the photovoltaic cost per kilowatt for a home.

Because the cost of photovoltaics, or any solar panel, is not just the initial cost. It’s calculated over its lifetime. It’s rather like buying a house. You could say ‘is this an expensive house?’

Similarly, solar energy prices are relative. As other energy prices change (like coal, gas or hydro-electric,) solar energy becomes relatively more or less expensive. So at the moment oil prices are rising. That makes solar electricity a bit cheaper compared with oil. However coal is still relatively less per watt than solar.

Oil Billionaire invests in Renewable Energy

Sat, 24 May 2008 07:24:00 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: $600 billion a year is a pretty significant investment in imported fuel. Renewable energy provides jobs, and gives more stability, less dependence on foreign fuel

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens is sinking billions of dollars into a new wind farm in Texas. It is likely to become the biggest in the world, producing enough power for the equivalent of 1.3 million homes. CNN's Ali Velshi asked the oil legend why he thinks wind could be the answer to this country's energy problems:

Pickens: The Department of Energy came out with a study in April of '07 that said we could generate 20 percent of our electricity from wind. And the wind power is -- you know, it's clean, it's renewable. It's -- you know, it's everything you want. And it's a stable supply of energy.

A turbine will generate somewhere around 20,000 [dollars] a year in royalty income. And on a 640-acre tract, you can put five to 10 of these on the tract. And you don't have to have them if you don't want them.

But we are going to have to do something different in America. You can't keep paying out $600 billion a year for oil.

Tags: renewable energy, fossil fuels

LEED and the Standardization of Green Building

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:13:56 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: LEED green building has come out with a new program for assessing green buildings.
This is very helpful for green building practitioners as a whole. There needs to be a measure that can be applied across the board so that green buildings can be fairly assessed.
So far LEEDS is probably the most international of building standards. Their new program seeks to take green buildings even more into the mainstream.

Clip Source: www.usgbc.org

That buildings account for fully 39% of US C02 emissions sent the issue of dramatically improving building performance to the top of USGBC's agenda in 2006. It was clear that incremental change to how LEED functions wasn't enough. Instead, we needed to reframe our focus towards driving significantly greater outcomes in total building performance while, at the same time, incorporating technical advancements such as bioregional credits that would enable LEED to continue to evolve as a better, more refined tool for green building.

But the immediate need is your engagement in the public comment process on LEED 2009. All stakeholders in the building community are invited to comment.

We urge you to participate in this important next step in delivering on our mission of green buildings for everyone within a generation.

Solar Hot Water Types

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:10:12 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: I heard this from a solar hot water installer who refuses to install open loop systems any longer. He reckoned he may have lost a few clients to the higher price of closed loop, but the clients he's installed for are happy in the long term.

Clip Source: www.solartradingpost.com

When choosing a solar hot water system, it’s important to look at durability as well as price. There are a few factors to consider.

For a longer lasting panel life, it’s important to choose a closed loop rather than an open loop system.

A closed loop system has the same fluid circulating in the solar panel all the time. It then transfers the heat to your hot water. In colder climates, this fluid can contain anti-freeze, reducing your risk of cracked pipes.

Like many things in life, paying for quality at the outset can avoid headaches in the future.

Open loop systems circulate your actual hot water through the solar panel. This means that debris and calcium that might be in your hot water can get stuck in the solar panel. This great reduces the panel’s efficiency and lifetime.

Solar Panel Performance Testing

Sun, 11 May 2008 23:29:03 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: This a very good idea. Lack of an across-the-board standard for solar panels has hindered its adoption.
Having panels tested independently by the government will boost consumer confidence. Solar tiles are also an example of integrated technology. They are not as noticeable as panels. Their price is also slightly offset by the fact that they replace the need for roofing tiles where they are installed.

Clip Source: www.technologyreview.com

The government tests cars for gas mileage. Now it's testing roof tiles for wattage.

Around 500 square feet of PV tiles can produce three kilowatts of electricity, according to Subhendu Guha, president and chief operating officer of United Solar Ovonic, a maker of PV shingles in Auburn Hills, MI -- and most roofs are several times that size. His company's version is dark blue and can blend with ordinary shingles of a similar shade. Or a builder might devote an entire sunny section to PV materials.

"A south-facing roof on a three-bedroom home could supply 20 to 30 percent of the home's electrical needs," says Paul Maycock, a consultant and head of PV Energy Systems in Williamsburg, VA.

Photovoltaics - How they Work

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:30:20 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: It'd be nice to see a video of this....
The photovoltaic effect was first discovered in 1839.
The first photovoltaic cells were made in 1918.

Since then Einstein developed photovoltaics. There was a lot of research and development during the 1960's Space Race, when satellites were powered by solar panels.

The 1970's saw the beginning of residential solar use. For houses living far off the electricity grid, photovoltaics made financial sense.

Prices have since fallen from $30 a watt down to $7 a watt for residential installations.

Now due to technology advancing and power costs rising, the price of solar energy is still falling. The future of solar energy looks bright indeed.

Clip Source: solartradingpost.com

To understand how photovoltaics work, you first need to understand a bit about solar energy. Basically, sunlight is loaded with photons. Think of these as little packages of solar energy. Photovoltaics are panels that turn this sun power into electricity. They are usually made from silicon and small amounts of boron.

When the photons from sunlight hit a silicon molecule, they knock loose one of its free-floating electrons. This electron hits another silicon molecule, shunting it's electron out of it's molecule. This starts a chain reaction, rather like one domino striking another, which knocks over another, and another....

The final result of this chain reaction is what is known as an flow of electrons, or an electrical current.

Solar Stocks

Thu, 08 May 2008 01:42:00 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: It's interesting the connection between oil and electricity.
Part of it is psychological. On the other hand, oil prices do effect electricity, especially coal based electricity. Oil is used in the transport and extraction of coal.
And also, oil is so central to all our commerce that its price has multiple side effects on our economy.

Clip Source: www.forbes.com

Solar Sector Sucked Into Oil's Wake

The gains though were not limited to the oil industry or rational behavior. Even though oil accounts for 2% of electricity production in this country--a negligible amount--the high-flying solar sector rallied on the back of black-gold's gains.

"It's more psychological than operational as the price of oil has no direct bearing on the price of electricity," said Michael Carboy of Signal Hill Group. "What happens though is rising oil prices are equated to rising energy prices and solar gets a good tailwind as a result."

Where the Real Power Lies- in the Distribution Network

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:14:00 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: This article touches on one of the great strengths of solar energy - the ability to produce power in many de-centralized locations and distribute it widely with very little loss.

And as in the spread of telephones, electricity, tv and railway, the real power is held by those who own the distribution network.

What's especially interesting here is that you can draw parallels between solar power and the biggest network around at the moment - the internet.

The way in which both these mediums are alike is that they inherently resist centralized control.

While you can build giant solar power stations, there is still the capability for a homeowner to have their own mini-power station on their roof.

This democratization, of information by the internet, and electricity by solar power, is, I think ,a good thing. Both for the environment and for the individual.

Clip Source: www.cleantechblog.com

Mr. O’Donnell made the point that building roads in the U.S. was a local phenomenon subject to a patchwork of regulations and constraints – until President Eisenhower broke down the barriers with the creation of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950’s. He further noted that high voltage DC technologies now readily available – such as those offered by ABB (NYSE: ABB) – could transmit large blocks of power across the whole continent with losses of only about 11% (excluding the conversion facilities at each terminal).

We in the cleantech community haven’t talked much about it, instead focusing on the sexy/cool generation/storage/consumption technologies, but maybe it’s time to ratchet the discussion about the so-called “smart grid” up to another level.

Built-in Obsolescence in Solar Tariffs Creates Growth

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:45:16 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K
clipper's remarks: By removing the major obstacle to solar energy - high start-up costs - solar has grown tremendously in Spain.

Phasing out this tariff gradually over time is also wise. This decreases dependence on these tariffs - which could destabilise the solar energy market

Clip Source: www.azcentral.com

But the scene is even more unworldly: 624 giant mirrors surround the tower, focusing the sun's radiation at the very top.

The heat there reaches almost 500 degrees, making steam to run an electric turbine. The 11-megawatt system can produce enough power for 6,000 homes.

The tower, which just completed its first year of regular operation, is part of a major solar-electric complex that Abengoa is building near Seville.

One reason for the big push into solar, Fernandez says, is long-term self-interest: "Spain has no natural energy sources."

But the real story here isn't the staggering technology.

It's the financial tool that made it possible - and one that we could adopt here.

Spain has a "feed-in tariff ": Utilities must buy a certain amount of electricity at a guaranteed price from companies that produce electricity from solar and other renewable sources.

The price is designed to cover the extra expense of renewables. But it declines over time, so the crutch is only temporary.