tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2011:/news/1 2011-04-25T12:53:32Z Solar News from TheSolarPlan.com Movable Type 3.33 tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2011:/news//1.146 2011-04-25T12:48:22Z 2011-04-25T12:53:32Z

Increasingly high cost of electricity is overwhelming the nation. Many people are having to choose between keeping the power on or buying groceries

SolarAdmin http://blog.strive4impact.com wireless network adapter. You've more than likely used many objects that run on solar power including a calculator, outdoor lighting, phone chargers or flashlights. Solar power may sound high tech, but it's actually been in use for thousands of years, potentially dating back to ancient China.]]> Like to do-it-yourself? You can easily find instructions online to help you make your own solar panels with materials commonly found at the hardware store. With the items needed and the ability to follow instructions, you'll be amazed at how easily you can create your own solar power in just a short time. Of course, if you prefer to buy panels ready-made, that's a cinch, too. They're affordable and as easy to install as new roofing. The increasingly high cost of electricity is overwhelming the nation. Many people are having to choose between keeping the power on or buying groceries. Not only are the cost savings significant when you choose solar energy, but using a renewable resource to power your home is earth-friendly and just plain smart. Utility companies will only continue to raise their rates. They have to in order to meet the rising demand for power. By using solar energy, you're removing yourself from that ever increasing cycle of dependence. And that feels good. In addition to the normal cost savings associated with solar power, many states now offer tax benefits to families who install solar equipment. You may find that you can actually convert your home to solar energy for a lot less than you had imagined. Contact your county or state energy office for information and recommendations on solar energy specifically in your area. There are many ways you and your family can help to preserve the earth. Using solar energy as often as possible is one of the most convenient, most comfortable, and most economical ways you can choose to help. This is a guest post from Alyssa Lee, who has lately been thinking about installing some solar panels to her house.]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.144 2010-12-05T04:23:47Z 2010-12-05T04:37:44Z

Programs promoting Geothermal, BioMass and certain Building Materials...

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com Programs promoting Geothermal, BioMass and certain Building Materials GeothermalCentral Alabama Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Electric Cooperative, offers the Touchstone Energy Home Program. Touchstone Energy Homes with a dual-fuel or geothermal heat pump qualify for rebates and a free water heater. In order to qualify as a Touchstone Energy Home, homes must follow seven of the 11 guidelines listed on the program web site. Rebates range from $400 to $1,200, depending on tonnage and system type. Touchstone Energy homes with an air-source, dual-fuel or geothermal heat pump are eligible for a free energy-efficient water heater. http://www.caec.coop/cms/content/view/42/ BiomassThe Biomass Energy Program assists businesses in installing biomass energy systems. Program participants receive up to $75,000 in interest subsidy payments to help defray the interest expense on loans to install approved biomass projects. Technical assistance is also available through the program. Industrial, commercial and institutional facilities; agricultural property owners; and city, county, and state government entities are eligible. Interested parties must obtain loans from commercial lending institutions and submit repayment data to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) for interest payment assistance. ADECA pays the borrower directly, based on documentation of payment. The interest rates on loans should be no greater than 2% above the prime rate. http://www.adeca.state.al.us/C16/Biomass%20Energy%20Program/default.aspx This statute allows individual taxpayers a deduction for the purchase and installation of a wood-burning heating system. The deduction is equal to the total cost of purchase and installation for the conversion from gas or electricity to wood when the system is used as the primary energy source for heating a home. The deduction must be taken for the taxable year during which the conversion was completed. Note that this incentive is for the conversion of an existing system and not for the first-time installation of a wood-burning system. http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeofAlabama/1975/40-18-15.htm Building/Construction insulation materials -Windows, Coolith tubes, heat exchangers, plantings etc For improvements made in 2009 and 2010, you can get an income tax credit of up to $1,500 for installing efficient new windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in your home. However, efficiency criteria will vary dependant on when these items are installed. http://ase.org/content/article/detail/2654#home_improvement Multiple renewables:Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and participating power distributors of TVA power offer a production-based incentive program to Valley homeowners and businesses for the installation of renewable generation systems from the following qualifying resources: solar, wind, low-impact hydropower, and biomass called Generation Partners. The energy generated from these renewable generation systems will count towards TVA's green power pricing program, Green Power Switch. TVA will purchase 100% of the output from a qualifying system at a premium of $0.12 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on top of the retail electricity rate for solar and $0.03 per kilowatt-hour on top of the retail electricity rate for wind, low-impact hydro, and biomass. Payment is made in the form of a credit issued by the local power company on the monthly power bill for the home or business where the generation system is located. If a qualifying system produces more electricity than the customer consumes, payment for any excess credits will be issued either monthly or annually, at the discretion of the power company. All new participants in the Generation Partners program will receive a $1,000 incentive to offset the upfront cost of the qualifying system. http://www.tva.com/greenpowerswitch/partners/]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.143 2010-06-16T19:18:22Z 2010-06-16T19:24:05Z

A new study released by Navigant Consulting finds that a 25% by 2025 national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) would support hundreds of thousands of new American jobs and prevent a near-term collapse in some industries....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com A new study released by Navigant Consulting finds that a 25% by 2025 national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) would support hundreds of thousands of new American jobs and prevent a near-term collapse in some industries. Washington, D.C., United States Job growth in the wind, solar, biomass, waste-to-energy and hydropower industries would particularly benefit the Southeastern U.S. and manufacturing states whose Congressional delegations have had a history of voting against incentives and other measures designed to support the renewable energy sector. The "Job Impacts of a National Renewable Electricity Standard" study was released by the RES Alliance for Jobs and found that a 25% by 2025 national RES would support an additional 274,000 renewable energy jobs over a no-national policy option. The 25% figure is significantly higher than RES mandate in current legislation and the expected jobs supported in the current House and Senate provisions would be considerably lower. In addition, the study found that without stronger near-term targets than currently envisioned, industries like wind will experience flat job growth and long-term stagnation, while the U.S. biomass industry could collapse altogether. The RES Alliance recommends raising near-term RES targets in federal legislation to 12% in 2014 and 20% in 2020. “A strong Renewable Electricity Standard is crucial to create a stable investment environment and grow this highly promising sector. Without a strong RES, the U.S. wind industry will see no net job growth, and will likely lose jobs to overseas competitors. A target like 25 percent by 2025 would allow American wind companies to support double the amount of jobs than without a policy -- about 125,000 additional jobs." States that stand to gain the most from a strong RES, according to the RES Alliance / Navigant Consulting study, include: • Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee Georgia and Florida that can benefit from substantial biomass and municipal solid waste-to-energy • Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Indiana, which will gain from growth in manufacturing for a wide range of technologies • North and South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois, home to major wind resources • Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and California, where solar, wind and hydropower have significant growth potential • States that do not currently have renewables standards or targets like Indiana, Florida, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Alabama The study emphasizes that while tax credits continue to play a critically important role in preserving the viability of existing facilities, a RES is needed in order to support both near- and long-term investments. Information on this page was created and posted by the company identified above. TheSolarPlan.com does not endorse, edit, or substantiate this information and assumes no obligation for this content's accuracy. ]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.142 2010-04-23T03:01:28Z 2010-04-23T03:09:02Z

First sun-powered crossing of the Atlantic...

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com First sun-powered crossing of the Atlantic Associated Press]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.141 2010-04-20T03:16:17Z 2010-04-20T03:29:00Z

He predicted the fall of the Soviet Union. He predicted the explosive spread of the Internet and wireless access....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com He predicted the fall of the Soviet Union. He predicted the explosive spread of the Internet and wireless access. Solar to compete in five years Solar and wind power currently supply about 1 percent of the world's energy needs, Kurzweil said, but advances in technology are about to expand with the introduction of nano-engineered materials for solar panels, making them far more efficient, lighter and easier to install. Google has invested substantially in companies pioneering these approaches. Regardless of any one technology, members of the panel are "confident that we are not that far away from a tipping point where energy from solar will be [economically] competitive with fossil fuels," Kurzweil said, adding that it could happen within five years. The reason why solar energy technologies will advance exponentially, Kurzweil said, is because it is an "information technology" (one for which we can measure the information content), and thereby subject to the Law of Accelerating Returns. "We also see an exponential progression in the use of solar energy," he said. "It is doubling now every two years. Doubling every two years means multiplying by 1,000 in 20 years. At that rate we'll meet 100 percent of our energy needs in 20 years." Other technologies that will help are solar concentrators made of parabolic mirrors that focus very large areas of sunlight onto a small collector or a small efficient steam turbine. The energy can be stored using nano-engineered fuel cells, Kurzweil said. You could, for example, create hydrogen or hydrogen-based fuels from the energy produced by solar panels and then use that to create fuel for fuel cells, he said. There are already nano-engineered fuel cells, microscopic in size, that can be scaled up to store huge quantities of energy, he said. Other grand challenges The NAE panel thinks that meeting the energy challenge and the other grand challenges of the 21st century is "simply imperative to our survival on the planet," said panel member Charles Vest, former president of MIT and current NAE president. Other challenges that the panel addressed include providing access to clean water , engineering better medicines, reverse engineering the brain, securing cyberspace and enhancing virtual reality. The inspiration for the report was a previous NAE that reflected on the engineering achievements of the 20th century, such as the automobile, aircraft, jet aircraft, rockets, missiles, satellites, radio, radar, television, nuclear power, nuclear weapons, the computer, internet, genetic engineering and antibiotics. These inventions gave us the green revolution that improved food production as global population grew, the distribution of safe water and electricity, improved health and generated an improved standard of living for many in the world. However, now the world faces some dark consequences of these advances, said Stanford University's William Perry, a member of the Grand Challenges panel and a former Secretary of Defense in President Clinton's administration, including the depletion of prevailing energy resources, a looming global environmental disaster in global warming, the emergence of drug-resistant bugs and the threat of a security disaster if nuclear and biological weapons fall into the wrong hands. With this in mind, the NAE brought together the panel (other members included Segway inventor Dean Kamen, biomedical engineer Robert Langer, former National Institutes of Health Director Bernadine Healy and genomics pioneer Craig Venter) to report on the needs of society and how technology can meet them. More solutions to 21st century challenges Other tech solutions suggested by the NAE panel to the new century's big challenges include: • Better detection and monitoring of nuclear weapons components to prevent them from getting in the hands of terrorists. • Improving rapid responses to possible bioweapons attacks. • Advances in genetic engineering to address the problem of drug-resistant viruses and bacteria, and to create personalized medicine. • Desalinization and water filtering to address the shortage of potable drinking water. • Tutoring computers to help meet education needs. • Artificial intelligence that better simulates the brain to help create faster computers and also to aid in the treatment of neurological disorders Perry was optimistic about the ability of society to arrive at these solutions, saying the achievements of the 21st century "will I believe be just as spectacular as achievements of 20th century." Panel member Calestous Juma of Harvard University, an authority on using science and technology to promote sustainable development, said the policy implications of the 21st century challenges plan reveal a "more enlightened understanding of role of science and technology in general." "This idea [of solving large-scale problems using technological innovation] is being developed in the context of a globalized world," he said. "Even though the proposals have been developed in the United States, the challenges themselves that humanity faces are global in character." Robin Lloyd. LiveScience, February 2008 ]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.138 2010-03-20T16:35:12Z 2010-03-20T16:42:34Z

Poll shows overwhelming number of Americans support utility-scale projects on public lands that have not been designated as preserves...

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com Poll shows overwhelming number of Americans support utility-scale projects on public lands that have not been designated as preserves Stephen Lacey, Staff Writer - RenewableEnergyWorld.com]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.136 2010-02-23T01:56:31Z 2010-02-23T04:27:38Z

A tiny solar-powered sensor, smaller than Abe Lincoln's head on a penny, can supply almost perpetual energy, its creators say....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com A tiny solar-powered sensor, smaller than Abe Lincoln's head on a penny, can supply almost perpetual energy, its creators say. February 2010, TechNewsDaily]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.133 2010-02-17T13:44:19Z 2010-02-17T20:04:30Z

Space-based solar power has been mostly all-talk - now it’s time to energize the idea with some electrifying experiments! That’s the goal of the “One Lightbulb” project....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com Space-based solar power has been mostly all-talk - now it’s time to energize the idea with some electrifying experiments! That’s the goal of the “One Lightbulb” project. credit: Leonard David (LiveScience)]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.132 2010-02-11T13:33:22Z 2010-02-11T20:21:53Z

Researchers have unveiled super-small solar cells no bigger than the pieces of glitter on your holiday ornaments and cards. These highly efficient photovoltaics could be game-changers in the burgeoning field of solar power, allowing arrays of microcells to be placed...

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com Researchers have unveiled super-small solar cells no bigger than the pieces of glitter on your holiday ornaments and cards. These highly efficient photovoltaics could be game-changers in the burgeoning field of solar power, allowing arrays of microcells to be placed on bendable or curved surfaces and even woven into clothing. How they work Like most snowflakes, the microcells are six-sided to maximize available space by interlocking like honeycomb, or the panels on a soccer ball. In the lab, these hexagonal microcells have achieved photovoltaic efficiencies of about 15 percent, denoting the percentage of light shone on them that is converted into harvestable electricity. High-end commercial-grade solar cells can reap about 20 percent currently, though Nielson thinks the microcells can more than match this. The microcells, made of the crystalline silicon found in standard solar cells, have already demonstrated higher efficiencies than so-called thin film solar technologies presently being explored that use other, cheaper materials, such as cadmium telluride. Instead of converting a whole wafer of silicon into a typical solar cell, the Sandia team's manufacturing method yields thousands of microcells on thin slices of the wafer, like when making a microchip for a computer. This technique leaves plenty of raw material to produce more microcells and requires 100 times less silicon than for conventional, thicker solar cells, said Nielson. The microcells themselves range in size from 0.00098 to 0.039 inches (25 micrometers to one millimeter) across and from 0.00055 to 0.00079 (14 to 20 micrometers) thick. - For reference, a human hair is about 0.0028 inches (70 micrometers) in width. Although the microcell manufacturing process is complex, the material and photovoltaic efficiency of the microcells should still result in reduced costs compared to today's solar power, Nielson said. "It's great and important that we reduce cost potential by going this way," Nelson told LiveScience, "but what's more exciting is what you can do with these cells that you can't with anything else." Many possibilities Making the microcells ultra-thin opens up many possibilities, the researchers say. "You don't have large-area wafers that are rigid and don't bend," said Nelson. This means the microcells are conformable and can be tailor-fitted to objects from building facades to sloping car roofs, much like how smaller-sized tiles can be mortared to make a curved mosaic. The tiny solar cells can also be embedded in plastic sheets. The resulting photovoltaic material might then be crafted into tents or store awnings, Nielson suggested. People could also wear miniature solar cells woven into the fabric of their clothing to power personal electronic devices. High photovoltaic efficiency is very important in this case because the limited dimensions of the human body offer relatively little space to capture sunshine, said Nielson. Adam Hadhazy December, 2009 (LiveScience)]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2010:/news//1.131 2010-02-09T00:23:45Z 2010-02-09T00:31:07Z

BOULDER, CO U.S.A. - A California-based solar company is launching its first residential solar installation in Colorado that will allow customers to take advantage of photovoltaic panels by renting instead of owning them....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com BOULDER, CO U.S.A. - A California-based solar company is launching its first residential solar installation in Colorado that will allow customers to take advantage of photovoltaic panels by renting instead of owning them. credit: KUSA-TV posted by Dan Boniface, Jessica Zartler Jan, 2010 ]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2009:/news//1.129 2009-12-23T17:00:22Z 2009-12-23T17:11:20Z

The barren deserts of Southern California are known for relentless sunshine and miles of empty space -- the perfect combination for the world's most ambitious solar-energy projects....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com The barren deserts of Southern California are known for relentless sunshine and miles of empty space -- the perfect combination for the world's most ambitious solar-energy projects. Credit: Will Wade ]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2009:/news//1.125 2009-10-27T03:44:56Z 2009-10-27T03:56:00Z

The Army is bringing to the battlefield flexible plastic sheeting that converts light into energy....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com The Army is bringing to the battlefield flexible plastic sheeting that converts light into energy. Credit:: Associated Press]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2009:/news//1.124 2009-10-20T22:37:30Z 2010-04-20T03:15:11Z

Tired of your roof just soaking up rays and not pulling its load? You're not alone....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com Tired of your roof just soaking up rays and not pulling its load? You're not alone. Working roofs "You look for a south-facing roof that is not shadowed by trees or by another building, and you cover it as best you can,"Maycock said. Solar energy modules can be mount on racks on the roof to catch the sun to best advantage, although the results may be quite unsightly. "With shingles, you are stuck with the roof you have, and with the less-desirable results that it gives you. So in many cases you just don't do it," Maycock said. So it's no surprise that most of the photovoltaic (PV) roofs are in new upscale residential construction in the sunny Southwest, where the cost of a PV roof (about $14,000 for 2 kilowatts of capacity, according to Maycock’s figures) would fit in the mortgage's round-off error. Taxes and power Additionally, California and New Jersey offer tax credits that actually make solar power economically sensible, Maycock added. (Other states offer less juicy tax credits, and the Federal taxman offers one that caps out at $2,000.) Maycock figures that the cost of electricity from a PV roof is about 40 cents per kilowatt hour, but that tax credits can reduce that figure to 20 cents. The national average for utility power is 12 cents, but the price ranges between 16 and 21 cents in California, and as high as 24 cents in parts of New York State, he said. To make PV roofing pay, the local utility must also offer "net metering" meaning that your power meter can run backward while your roof is sending excess power to the grid, reducing your bill. (Even with a south-facing PV roof, 70 to 80 percent of an average home's power will still have to come from the utility company.) Net metering is available in about 20 states, Maycock noted. Credit: Lamont Wood, Special to LiveScience]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2009:/news//1.123 2009-09-09T16:44:00Z 2009-09-09T16:49:17Z

Innovalight Inc. said this week that it has demonstrated a record 18% conversion efficiency with silicon-ink processed solar cells...

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com Innovalight Inc. said this week that it has demonstrated a record 18% conversion efficiency with silicon-ink processed solar cells RenewableEnergyWorld.com September 9, 2009 ]]> tag:www.thesolarplan.com,2009:/news//1.122 2009-09-09T15:57:48Z 2009-09-09T16:06:26Z

Solar cells soon could be painted onto the sides of buildings or rooftops with nanoparticle inks, according to one chemical engineer....

SolarGuy http://www.thesolarplan.com Solar cells soon could be painted onto the sides of buildings or rooftops with nanoparticle inks, according to one chemical engineer. 08/24/2009 Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience Senior Writer ]]>