Here’s a quick and easy way to make a simple solar cooker out of a common pizza box. Good for warming things up:

Simple Solar Cooker From Pizza Box

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cvvfs-3594920581@job.craigslist.org

We are a readily expanding 100% sales-focused solar company. Kleiner Perkins, the same company that funded powerhouses like Google and Amazon when they first started, invested in us because of our laser-targeted mission: “More Power for Less”. We currently have a small team in Orange County. We have a lot of fun and are looking for 1-2 additional Account Managers.

Account Manager
AMs are the core of our company. As an Account Manager, your primary focus is to sit down with homeowners and help educate and sell them on the benefit of on-site energy.

Regular Activities include:
• Driving activity in the field
• 5-6 hours per day out in the field qualifying customers
• Working with team of lead generators
• Performing 4-8 in-home consultations per week
• Frequent individual metrics analysis
• Sourcing referrals

Qualifications:
• Polished people and communication skills
• Persuasive reasoning
• 1-3 years related experience preferred
• Degree preferred

Growth
We are dedicated to the growth and development of our team. Advancement opportunities are inevitable for Top Performers. These people help influence direction of the company and pilot special projects.

• Location: Orange County
• Compensation: $20-$60K Base Bonus Benefits Commissions

 

Jobs In Solar: Energy Sales, Entry-Mid Level ($20-60K) (Orange County C)

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There are different techniques used in cleaning solar panels and here’s Nate Gulbransen to show his pro method of cleaning. Clear panels improve efficiency.

DIY: Cleaning Your Solar Panels

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MIT’s Technology Review has an article on a new solar project that uses technology that sorts sunlight into 8 to 10 different colors and then directs those colors to matching solar cells. The project is being funded to the tune of $2.4 million by the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy.

Caltech’s professor of applied physics and materials science Harry Atwater is behind the idea of sorting sunlight into colors and directing them to matching solar cells. He hopes to eventually get the solar efficiency conversion rate up to over 50 per cent using this method.

His idea is to take flat solar material and use one of it’s layers to split the light into colors then deliver it to a second layer that contains solar cells that are matched to each sorted color. The spectrum is absorbed more efficiently with matching cells but the technology is in it’s infancy so tools and materials are expensive.

Atwater mentions current flat screen TV technology as a model for his solar spectrum sorting methods. The first of these types of TVs were expensive and the technology less efficient and as time progressed and demand evolved the cost of mass production lowered to become cost effective. That’s Atwater’s hope for his technology, that producing more efficient solar energy will lead to cheaper production of the technology which will lead to cheaper products for homeowners and industry.

More at MIT’s Technology Review.

Using the Spectrum to Improve Solar Efficiency

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The 3-in-one Transforming Solar Robot is a fun way to teach kids about solar power. The little panel placed in the front allows the robot-transformer to turn into a robot to scorpion to a tank. Powers up under the sun or halogen lighting.

More at Dulaney Solar.

Fun Educational Solar Transformer Toy

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Scientific Reports featured a story about researchers from Stanford University, NRE Laboratory in Denver CO and Seoul Korea developing thin film solar cell material that allows for peeling and sticking the cells on almost any surface.

It’s been a challenge for scientists to come up with the right formula that would allow solar cells to adhere to rough and uneven surfaces till now. They fabrication process included a wafer of silicon, silicon dioxide, sandwiched metal and a film of nickel on which the thin-film solar cells are placed. A thin layer of polymer is place on top for protection.

After applying thermal release tape on top, the entire structure was immersed in a water bath at room temperature. After the tape corner was lifted to let the cells be saturated with water the nickel layer holding the thin-film solar cells separated from the silicon wafer. The cells were heated and dried for 30 seconds to release them from the thermal release tape.

The target surface was coated with adhesives and the thin-film solar cells were attached to the sticky surface and the thermal release tape was removed.

The peel and stick process for creating and utilizing thin-film solar cells will allow these cells to be places on curved and rough surfaces. Substrates such as plastic, paper, cell phones, business cards, windows and buildings will eventually be able to use the commercial form of this product for generating solar energy.

More interesting details at Nature.com.

Peel-and-Stick Thin Film Solar Cells

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Date: 2012-12-21, 4:57PM PST
john.c@a1solarpower.net
Installation Team Manager

A1 A1 solar is one of the fastest growing company’s in the solar industry.We are looking for a branch manager to run our soon to bo opening branch office. They will report directly to the VP of sales.they will be responsible for hirning, training, and coavhing. Also will work cross functionally with oother departments and priortizing team work load.
 
Requirements

• Must have solar background
• 2-4 years construction related experience; 2 + years of PV solar sales.
• Previous experience as a branch manager
• In-depth Knowledge of residential PV instakkations.
• Basic knowledge of residential electrical system.
• Ability to managr budgets and schedules.
• Hiring Sales consultants that will be mentored and coached to exceed sales goal.
• Produce weekly sales reports to follow up sales consultants productivity.
• Manage and prioritize daily work load.
• Conduct weekly work load.
• Prepare a daily report that will be sent to the VP of sales.
• Manage the administrative process of the sales team.

We provide:

• A career with a rapidly growing company with a growing market

Compensation:

• Competitive compensation with high income opportunity
• Hourly to start with opportunities for growth

To apply:Qualified candidates can reply to john.c@a1solarpower.net with your cover letter and resume.

Location: Santa Barbara, CA 
Compensation: Hourly

Jobs In Solar: Branch Manager A1 Solar (Santa Barbara CA )

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Here’s a former executive-type located in the Seattle WA who decided to live a simpler life. He installed a few solar panels on the roof of his studio and constructed a solar heater out of soda cans.

The soda can solar heater sucks the cold air out of the room, heats it up inside the glass frame and then blows the warm air back into the room. This air circulation plan works better on sunny days naturally but he claims he thinks his room is a little warmer even on cloudy days. Even the fan is solar powered. The rooftop solar panels provide electricity for his laptop and lamp.

DIY: Home Studio Runs on Solar Heat and Electricity

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Researchers at the Laboratory for Nanophotonics at Rice University in Houston TX have been experimenting with creating solar steam by lighting up nanoparticles. The particles smaller than a wavelength of light have a small surface area to dissipate heat. When emerged in water and exposed to solar light the heating up of the particles is so intense it creates steam at the surface of the particle.

Solar steam is more efficient than solar panels at 24% whereas a typical panel has an efficiency rate of 15%. The researcher’s focus for this study is on creating more efficient ways to purify water and sanitize materials and tools in developing countries on a small scale.

One researcher took light-activated nanoparticles and put them in water in a test tube. She submerged the tube in icy cold water freezing up the particle water. Sunlight was focused on the tube through a lens and the near-freezing water produced steam.

About 90% of electricity is produced from steam and it’s one of the most used industrial fluids. Typical applications are sanitizing medical instruments and purifying food and water. Researchers are toying with the idea of creating hybrid-air conditioning and heating systems that run off sunlight and at night run off the electricity produced during the daylight hours.

Professor Naomi Halas said “We’re not changing any of the laws of thermodynamics, We’re just boiling water in a radically different way.”

More details at Rice University.

Here’s Professor Halas explaining how the light-activated nanoparticles produce steam at a high efficiency rate when exposed to sunlight:

Converting Nanoparticles Into Solar Steam

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Date: 2012-12-07, 12:41PM PST

tzns7-3462555565@job.craigslist.org

CANVASSER JOB DESCRIPTION                                                                                                                                                        
Company Overview
VERENGO SOLAR is changing the way America thinks about solar! As the #1 residential solar integrator based in Southern California, Verengo offers comprehensive financial options and superior customer service, and consistently earns an A+ with the Better Business Bureau. Verengo has reduced carbon emissions through its solar power systems, accomplishing the equivalent of planting 300,000 acres of trees, taking more than 120,000 cars off the road and saving homeowners $255 million in energy costs over the lifetime of Verengo’s installed systems to date.
Due to growth, we are currently seeking a Canvasser to join our team.
We are looking for candidates who are committed to bringing our values to life:

• Trust — we build trust with every interaction.
• Responsibility — we do good and we do well.
• Uncompromising — we deliver what we promise.
• Smart — we learn from experience and find ways to improve.
• Team — we rely on each other to succeed.
• Enthusiastic — we love what we do and have fun doing it.
• Dynamic — we drive and embrace change. 

General Summary
Canvassers are responsible for generating leads and setting appointments with qualified homeowners.

Responsibilities

• Learn and deliver a solar pitch to prospective homeowners.
• Canvass areas that Verengo has recently performed an installation and target markets.
• Provides nightly reporting of leads/appointments and hours worked.
  • Completes necessary paperwork and email correspondence promptly.
  • Attends ongoing training to keep up with market expansion and job duties.
  • Attends weekly conference calls and meetings.
  • Maintains constant communication with the Confirmation Team.
  • Partners with the Field Market Supervisors to ensure goals are consistently met.
  • Communicates and shares best practices with management and team.
  • Demonstrates behavior to properly represent Verengo’s core values.

 Critical Competencies

• Organization and Planning: Plans, organizes and prioritizes in an efficient and productive manner.
• Follow-Through on Commitments: Lives up to verbal and written agreements, regardless of personal cost.
• High Standards: Expects personal performance and team performance to be nothing short of the best.
• Persistent: Demonstrates tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.
• Adaptable: Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions; anticipates and copes effectively with the complexity of change.

 Experience

• 1+  years of experience with customer service and/or sales
• Proven success and track record of:
  • Meeting or exceeding sales goals or quotas
  • Working in an unsupervised environment
  • Ability to effectively utilize selling techniques
  • Preference given to candidates with: 
    • Door to door experience
    • Kiosk or retail experience
    • Previous appointment setting experience

 Compensation Plan
We pride ourselves on being a leader in the industry with our compensation package.

• Beginning hourly rate is $10.00 plus bonus potential
• Pay for performance weekly bonus plan
• $40K + annual earnings target
• Top reps earn $72K+ annually
• No cap on commissions

For full-time employees, we offer competitive pay with a flexible and affordable benefits program designed to help you be and stay well, including: medical, dental & vision coverage, vacation & sick leave, flexible spending accounts, and a 401(k) plan.
Verengo Solar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Location:  Ventura, Los Angeles CA

• Compensation: Hourly, Plus Commissions, Plus Bonuses

Jobs In Solar: Awesome Flexible Job, Great Pay, Go Solar!!

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