Dan Thompson, founder and CEO of SPG Solar, Inc. will be speaking in San Diego on October 15th at the Solar Power International 2008 Conference and Expo. Thompson will join other industry leaders to discuss how solar photovoltaic (PV) product ratings compare with actual field performance in the session titled, “Ratings vs. Performance.”
The Myths Behind Offshore Drilling
March 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In terms of hot topics, offshore drilling is kin to a raging forest fire. It is one of the more vehemently opposed, or supported, solutions to our accelerating energy crisis. The GOP ticket sure has plenty of experience in offshore drilling or, at least, in talking about it and voting for it. The Democrats have long opposed offshore drilling and have fought vigorously to keep it from expansion, claiming that it’s a short-term solution at best because there just isn’t enough oil off our shores (relative to our demand). Although, the Obama/Biden campaign has recently come out in support of some offshore drilling. So what’s the deal? Is offshore drilling suddenly a unifying force in politics? Could it really be safe now? Not likely. Still, risks are high and rewards are low. And yet a lot of myths persist in presidential debates and media discussions. Here are three big ones that I hear most and why they fall apart with just a little investigation:
Drilling offshore will reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Sure there is oil off our coasts, most notably in the Atlantic, and they could be harvested. But to what end? Experts widely agree that the U.S. has but 3% of the world’s oil in reserve (including ANWR), but we consume 25%. Where will the other 22% come from? Foreign countries. There is no erasing our dependence on foreign oil with an energy policy focused on oil, on or off shore.
Offshore drilling is finally safe. The oil industry and drilling supporters claim that technology is so far advanced now that drilling can be done with little or no environmental impact. Yes the machinery is more high-tech and less likely for failure. But they are ignoring natural forces. Like a huge slap in the face to offshore drilling, Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, which spilled over a half-million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf and bordering wetlands. This is not to mention that Katrina and Rita, from a few years back, caused 734,400 gallons of oil to be spilled. Bear in mind that 100,000 gallons is considered a major spill. (more…)
Constellation Wines Installs 1-MW Solar System
March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Constellation Wines U.S. (CWUS) announced that it has begun installation of one of the largest solar power energy systems at a winery at its Gonzales Winery, located in Monterey County, California.
InvestorIdeas.com Global Marketplace Update- Connecting Business and Investors in Cleantech
March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Recent Additions include Green Automotive Smart Electrical Retrofit and Solar Integrator
InvestorIdeas.com Global Marketplace Update- Connecting Business and Investors in Cleantech
XsunX Recognized as a Business Development Success Story by the Oregon Economic Development Association in an Award Presented to the City of Wood Village
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB: XSNX), a solar technology company engaged in the build- out of its multi-megawatt thin film photovoltaic (TFPV) solar manufacturing facilities, announced today that the Oregon Economic Development Association (OEDA) has recognized XsunX as a Business Development Success Story
Pinn Bros. Fine Homes Opens Nation’s Largest 100% Solar Master-Planned Community
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Pinn Bros. Fine Homes, a progressive homebuilder in Northern California, changed history today with the opening of Palmilla in Brentwood, Calif.—the nation’s largest master-planned community to offer solar modules as a standard feature on every building.
Pinn Bros. Fine Homes Opens Nation’s Largest 100% Solar Master-Planned Community
New Optics For Improved Solar Power Generators
March 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Researchers are hoping to achieve higher solar cell efficiency involves using special coatings on solar cells that split light into colors like blue and red, which scientists estimate will increase efficiency by 50 percent.
Essex Unveils Solar Electric System Awarded Under the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program
March 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) today hosted a dedication ceremony to unveil a 2-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed on the rooftop of Essex Recycling Center. The town of Essex earned this solar PV system through CCEF’s Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program.
Essex Unveils Solar Electric System Awarded Under the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program
The Amish and Solar Power
March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Amish people reject societies electric utilities and grid but do allow themselves to make use of the sun’s rays. Referring to solar power as “God’s Grid” some Amish are selling solar panels. They use solar power to juice up the typical gadgets but also to charge up the batteries under their buggy’s.
This blurb from the Hartford Courant: “The Amish decide on whether to adapt to a new technology based on two implications: their separation from the world and the impact on the community,” said Kraybill, the professor.
To protect their community from the influence of the outside world, the Amish sometimes wait for a bishop council meeting before installing special solar equipment.”
Apparently they’re quite fearful about allowing technology into their lives and homes that would be a doorway to watering down their strict culture. Understandably, they don’t want their children being corrupted by modern society and they view this or any technology as a worldly threat.
Said one Amish man “”If we would introduce cars to our society, we would not have a community for very long. It would rip our family apart.”
The rest of the article can be read at the Hartford Courant online.
* (photo courtesy of CLEM MURRAY/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER/MCT / September 16, 2008)
Solar Thermal + PV = Efficiency x 3
March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
No sooner do I write about co-generation as a means of conserving energy and reducing emissions, then I find out that solar innovators are already applying such technology by combining solar thermal and photovoltaic systems. The difference? Instead of minimizing losses, co-generative solar systems are maximizing gains. In doing so, these innovators say, they can triple system efficiency.
A solar PV system will usually convert only 10-15% of sunlight directly into electricity for the home. The remaining 85% of solar radiation is lost as waste heat. Two companies, SolarWall and PVT Solar, are harnessing some of that otherwise wasted heat by adding solar thermal components to the electric system. The idea is simple. Solar panels are typically placed on roofs at an angle. Furthermore, there is typically air space left between the roof and the bottom (or back) of the panel. It is here that a significant amount of heat collects. This heat can be collected to heat water, space, even swimming pools.
This not only utilizes waste heat, but also helps keep the panels cool, allowing them to work more efficiently at peak hours. Also, adding solar thermal components does not necessarily require very much additional structure, subsequently adding a relatively small amount of cost to the co-generation system. Take solar water heating; a retrofit solar hot water system is the cheapest way to integrate solar into home energy plans. Combining that with a solar electric system makes it even more cost-effective. (more…)
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