Green Technology

SunPower won several US Government contracts to install solar products for numerous agencies " ...  Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), the General Services Administration (GSA), the Navy and the Air Force. ... "  These will create " ... more than 1000 local jobs during the construction ... represent a minimum of 20 megawatts (MW) of new solar projects ..."

One for the Air Force is to be the largest federal solar site in the US at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona.

SunPower is a leader in solar products and technology and was founded in 1988.  They have worked with various federal agancies since 1999.  They are listed on NASDAQ [SPWRA, SPWRB] and have their HQ in San Jose, California.

Via: SunPower  LINK

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Wisconsin lake house integrates cool, modern design with sustainable, LEED platinum capabilities.  The house deploys geothermal and solar photovoltaic systems.  …

…   “one of two homes in Wisconsin to gain platinum LEED certification for its green features … ”   …

Via New York Times: Modern Lake House (pic), (article).

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Dust and dirt are significant contributors to the derating of solar panel power levels.  Researchers focus on developing coatings that repel dust from the surface of panels. The coatings use electrostatic force to clear dust from the solar panel surface.  …

…   “A dust layer of 4 grams per square meter can decrease solar power conversion by 40 percent, says Malay Mazumder, a research professor in Boston University … ”   …

Via Scientific American: Self Cleaning Solar Panels.

Relevant reference material:

• Professor Malay Mazumder.
• Boston University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
• Dust cleaning properties.
• Pilkington Self Cleaning Glass.
• Discussion of solar derating factors (PDF).

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The 15 megawatt PV plant will be located at Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona.  Comprised of 52,000 SunPower PV panels it will be the " ... largest solar installation on U.S. government property."

"Arizona Public Service Co. will own and operate ... hired SunPower Corp. to design and construct the solar plant ..."

" ... will ... follow the sun ... 25 percent more energy than if the panels were stationary. ..."

Via:  Arizona Public Service LINK

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Cogentrix Energy will supply power to Public Service Company of Colorado from its large scale concentrating photovoltaic solar power generation facility, which is planned for construction near Alamosa, in southern Colorado and expected to be serving customers in 2012.  …

…   “The 30,000 kilowatt solar generating project will be the largest facility of its type in the world and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2012.

The system will produce up to 30,000 kilowatts of solar energy for the customers of Xcel Energy, providing enough electricity for approximately 6,500 homes.

The facility will be located on approximately 225 acres of land in the San Luis Valley of Colorado immediately adjacent to the existing transmission system of Xcel Energy. ”   …

Via Cogentrix: Solar Power Project, Colorado.

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Bethel maintenance department experiments with solar power and looks toward additional applications of renewable energy.  …

…   “To make his conventional, rechargeable-electric-battery-powered golf cart into a solar vehicle, Reimer attached solar panels to the roof and hooked them up to the batteries through a 36-volt charge controller. ”   …

Via Bethel College: Kansas Campus Maintenance Group.

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... "There’s a third category, and that’s where the most interesting stuff happens.

These are materials that have a narrower gap between the two bands, and they are called semiconductors. " ...

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Smith College students spend their summer SURFing (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships) their way to a fun education that gets them into some hot water.  Smith has been sponsoring this summer research program for decades.  …

…   “This summer, several students are leading research projects that focus on Smith.

June Lukuyu ’13 is analyzing the efficiency of the solar hot water system on the roof of McConnell Hall.

Jennifer Sadler ’13 and Kaitlin Somers ’12 are charting the steps to developing a smarter power grid ”   …

Via Smith College: Research.

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Candidates for the new Dean of the Sciences college bring technical experience that includes focus on society’s challenges, including renewable energy from the sun.  …

…   “Fisher also works to improve solar cell efficiency, develop composite nanomaterials and explore environmental applications for plasma chemistry.

Her group has been a world leader in contributing new understanding of chemical mechanisms … ”   …

Via Washington State University: College of Sciences Search for New Dean.

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The mix of renewable power in the energy portfolio should be adjusted to ensure that the emissions growth does not impact the temperature of the earth.  …

…   “Has it been worth it for Spain's companies to promote renewable energy such as wind and solar power? 

Most definitely, yes, Becerril said, adding however, that renewable energy sources are not the entire solution, only a part of it. ”   …

Via Knowledge at Wharton: Supply and Sustainability.

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" .. goal ... to be the premier research facility in the world focused on the economic, technical, and public policy issues associated with the development and deployment of solar energy to meet global energy needs and environmental challenges."

" ... through independent research, soliciting and funding internal and external research proposals on defined topics and responding to outside requests for proposals that fit the Solar Institute's objectives.

VIA: The GW Solar Institute LINK

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SoloPower has commercialized its CIGS-based, thin-film, lightweight, flexible solar photovoltaic module, the SFX1-i module, which is part of its flexible module product line.  …

…   “launch of its debut CIGS-based, thin-film, lightweight, flexible SFX1-i Photovoltaic module. 

Select SoloPower customers currently are sampling the new SFX1-i and SFX1-i3 modules off of SoloPower's existing production line in San Jose, CA and general availability for the new modules will be in the second half of 2010. ”   …

Via SoloPower: Solar CIGS Modules.

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Eaton Corp will design and build a solar photovoltaic power system for the New Mexico VA.  The system will be sized at over three megawatts of generating capacity and will be integrated into the existing building.  …

…   “turnkey Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System at the Albuquerque, New Mexico Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System.

The scope of the $20 million contract includes designing and installing a 3.2 megawatt PV system throughout the site, including car port and roof-mounted arrays, as well as implementing a building-integrated system to help reduce demand from the local utility grid.

This will be the largest PV system in New Mexico.”   …

Via Eaton Corporation: New Mexico VA Solar Power.

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President Obama discusses significant solar investment during his weekly radio address.  Abengoa and Abound will benefit from this renewable energy funding.  …

…   “Abengoa Solar, which will build one of the world's largest solar plants in Arizona, creating 1,600 construction jobs; and Abound Solar Manufacturing, which is building plants in Colorado and Indiana.”   …

Via New York Times: $2Billion for Solar Plants.

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I noticed the apples at my local Costco were packaged in plastic containers to keep the apples from bruising.  What really intrigued me was the information on the plastic containers.  Made by Peninsula Packaging of California ... they are:

- made from 70% recycled drink bottles
- made with 50% energy from the sun

" ... as much as 70 percent recycled ... are themselves recyclable ..."

" ... 10-acre photovoltaic "sun farm" generates 1.1 megawatts ... produces about one-percent of all of California's solar generated power."

Via:  PenPack  LINK

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Areva is working to commercialize integrated conventional and thermal solar power at the production scale.  …

…   “Areva is developing a hybrid solar power plant concept that combines a solar thermal system with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. ”   …

Via Forbes Energy Source: Areva says both.

Areva concentrated solar power technology.

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Intermediate steps to the green future include options that harness natural gas in shale deposits, requiring undesirable harvesting techniques.  Solar and wind power may offers the best pathway to the future for us, although we have to overcome the scalability challenge.  …

…   “solar and wind are the only practical alternatives that would provide America with abundant, independent energy with few undesirable environmental and human-health effects.”   …

Via Yale: Natural Gas Role in Green Future.

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Iowa State’s Team Prisum challenges the leaders in their solar car, Anthelion, with a strong day in the eleven hundred mile race.  …

…   “The teams have one more stage in the seven-day race from Broken Arrow, Okla., to Naperville, Ill. - a 110-mile sprint to the finish line.

Sanderson said Team PrISUm will start the day with full battery packs … ”   …

Via Iowa State University: American Solar Challenge (Link).

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SunPower pushes the limits of solar cell conversion efficiency above twenty four percent.  The new solar cells are produced in its SPML Philippines facility, outside of Manila.  …

…   “it has produced a full-scale solar cell with a sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency of 24.2 percent at its manufacturing plant in the Philippines.

This is a new world record, confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), for large area silicon wafers.

Improved cell efficiency reduces the levelized cost of energy by increasing the energy production from each wafer manufactured into a SunPower solar cell.

For the same reason, increased efficiency reduces the cost per watt and cost per kilowatt-hour for feedstock and materials, depreciation and other manufacturing expenses, installation time, land and system operations, and related maintenance.”   …

Via SunPower: New World Record (Link).

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Lenoir-Rhyne University offers summer enrichment program for kids, K to 5, that enriches their minds with harnessing the energy of the sun for fun.  …

…   “They had built solar ovens using either pizza boxes or shoeboxes, aluminum foil and plastic wrap.

Inside the solar ovens were mini pizzas, nachos and s’mores. ”   …

Via Lenoir-Rhyne University: Summer Program.

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Ever wonder how solar cells work?  Sun light hits a photovoltaic panel and somehow electrons start flowing. 

Check out this neat graphic that shows how suns rays are converted to power that flows from your home's outlets.

" ... Follow the path ... from the sun, through the pv panels, its conversion to AC electricity ... into the utility grid. ..."

ailed explanation of solar energy.

For a full size of the image CLICK

Via:  CoolerPlanet LINK

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The map at the right - link to full size below - shows " LINK ... the current state of renewable energy in America ... a large portion of the country is still dragging their feet in adopting more environmentally friendly means of generating electricity. ..."

Pennsylvania ranks 15th
New Jersey ranks 43 rd.

Check out the stats for your state.

Click for full size map ... LINK

Via:  CoolerPlanet 

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Students will spend their summer soaking up the sun’s rays using solar photovoltaics.  …

…   “Michael Newby '12 has been awarded a summer research internship at Princeton University  … 

He will conduct solar cell synthesis and characterization research in Dr. M. Alper Sahiner's Laboratory at Seton Hall University for the NJSGC Fellowship.”   …

Via Seton Hall Univ: Internships and Fellowships (Link).

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ASU develops engineers to focus on challenges that include solar renewable energy, other mega-trends, and global problems.  …

…   “These include such objectives as engineering better medicines and more advanced tools for scientific discovery, improving urban infrastructure, providing energy from fusion, defending against threats of nuclear terrorism, securing cyberspace, making solar-energy generation more economical and developing innovations in personalized learning.”   …

Via Arizona State Univ: Engineering Education (Link).

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Ferro expands its solar capabilities in the Asia Pacific region through technology lab support in China, Singapore, and Taiwan.  …

…   “Ferro's existing Technology Center in Suzhou is currently being expanded to meet the increased demand from solar cell manufacturers in China.

The new Advanced Technology Center in Taiwan is expected to be completed by the end of 2010 and will be equipped with state-of-the-art solar cell printing and firing equipment.

Both labs will be capable of building prototype solar cells and will be complemented by a complete range of solar cell characterization instruments.”   …

Via Ferro: Photovoltaic Technology Center (Link).

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DuPont opens photovoltaic applications lab at the Chestnut Run facility in Wilmington, Delaware in support of materials development for its growth push in the solar photovoltaic energy market.  …

…   “The lab will accelerate introduction of new photovoltaic materials and engineering innovations by linking DuPont science and engineering with full-size module fabrication and state-of-the-art testing capabilities.

It will provide an enhanced platform to enable innovation, technology exchanges and research collaborations among DuPont, customers, industrial partners, research institutes and universities.

The lab is designed to advance state-of-the-art solar module design, accelerate time to market in photovoltaic innovation and deliver cost-effective, high-performance solutions for the photovoltaic industry.”   …

Via Dupont: Photovoltaic Lab (Link).

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Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s initiative to drive development of renewable energy technologies and has selected the partnership of Total and Abengoa Solar to deliver Shams 1, the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant.  …

…   “Shams 1 will be the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, extending over an area of 2.5km²:

• capacity of approximately 100MW and a solar field
• consists of 768 parabolic trough collectors to be supplied by Abengoa Solar.

Construction is set to begin during Q3 2010 and is expected to take approximately two years.”   …

Via Masdar: Largest solar concentrator plant (Link).

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Michael Gratzel wins the Millennium Technology Prize for his work on developing dye-sensitized solar cells.  …

…   “Gratzel's innovation, the dye solar cell (DSC), is a third generation photovoltaic technology.

The technology often described as artificial photosynthesis is a promising alternative to standard silicon photovoltaics.

It is made of low-cost materials and does not need an elaborate apparatus to manufacture.”   …

Via Technology Academy of Finland: Millennium Technology Prize (Link).

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Boston College researchers work on the nano scale to address the challenges of thin film solar cells and energy conversion efficiency.  The approach taken in this research on nanocoax cell architecture is to avoid the use of crystalline materials, which will result in lower-cost power with ultrathin solar films.  The team has achieved power conversion efficiency of over 8 percent, which is very encouraging.  …

…   “Physicists at Boston College found a way to resolve the thick & thin challenge through a nanoscale solar architecture based on the coaxial cable, a radio technology concept that dates back to the first trans-Atlantic communications lines laid in the mid 1800s. ”   …

Via Boston College: Nanoscale Architecture (Link).

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Petra solar panels are showing up deployed on utility poles across towns in NJ.

For example, Petra teamed up with AC Electric for solar utility poles in southern New Jersey.  …

…   “Atlantic City Electric and Petra Solar announced they have teamed up to launch a demonstration project featuring solar photovoltaic (PV) systems mounted on utility poles in Cape May Point and Ocean City. Petra Solar's SunWave intelligent, pole-mounted photovoltaic solar systems are being installed by the end of April.”   …

Petra’s solution is a turnkey system for utilities to mount and play to generate power into the grid.  The system has been designed for easy installation by electric utility crews on street poles.  The Petra system does more than generate power:

…   “The systems can improve grid reliability through real-time communications between solar generators in the field and the utility control center. In addition, the Petra systems can enhance electric distribution grid reliability through a host of capabilities such as voltage and frequency monitoring and reactive power compensation.”   …

New Jersey and Petra Solar are collaborating to grow green jobs: Petra Solar was selected through a competitive process as the first company to be awarded funding under the state's new Clean Energy Manufacturing Fund (CEMF). The program is designed to support companies looking to site or materially expand a Class I renewable energy or energy-efficient product manufacturing facility in New Jersey.

PSE&G awards contract for solar power utility pole installation: Petra Solar was recently was awarded a contract by PSE&G for 200,000 SunWave units, which will be mounted on utility and street light poles to increase PSE&G's solar generation. The contract is expected to result in over 100 new jobs at Petra Solar over the coming year.

PSE&G, New Jersey's largest utility, recently received approval from New Jersey regulators for its Solar 4 All Program. PSE&G and Petra Solar entered into a contract, valued at $200 million, which requires Petra Solar to deliver approximately 200,000 SunWave units for installation by PSE&G, which plans to install the poles in its service territory of the state's six largest cities and some 300 rural and suburban communities.

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St. Mary’s University engineers rise to the challenge and create 1.4 kW solar panel system to demonstrate that the local event can be accomplished with a lower carbon footprint.  The engineering students are being recognized by the City of San Antonio during their Green Building awards.  …

…   “The St. Mary’s students built the solar panel system in response to the Mayor Julián Castro’s Fiesta Verde campaign, which was the Mayor’s idea to make Fiesta more green by promoting recycling efforts at most of the major Fiesta events.

Churchwell, Srinivasan and Crowell answered that call and one upped it by building a solar panel system equipped with a backup battery that lit 14 food booths for 40 hours—even with the cloudy skies and rain leading up to and during Fiesta Oyster Bake!

It took the awesome threesome just under a month to build the impressive eight solar panel system …”   …

Via St. Mary’s University: Green Building Award (Link).

Engineering students are addressing the renewable energy challenge:

Two engineering students from MIT and a business school student from Harvard pursue biofuel from microbes process.

Team of PhD chemical engineering students has developed a carbon nano-based transparent electrode that will increase the efficiency of thin film photovoltaic solar panels.

Oregon Institute of Technology student, who is majoring in Renewable Energy Engineering, receives project funding support from Portland General Electric for monitoring the performance of a wind and solar power system.

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National Semiconductor has created a chipset, branded under SolarMagic, focused on integrating intelligence into solar panel systems to drive higher energy output.  The SolarMagic power optimizer is embedded directly into solar panel junction boxes.  It will ship to customers already integrated on a board or as a standalone chipset.  …

…   “The SM3320 SolarMagic smart panel chipset is the most recent addition to National’s award-winning SolarMagic product line and provides junction box and module manufacturers with the smarts to ensure the highest efficiency and return on investment for solar system owners.

By coupling more energy production with a lower balance of systems cost, the SM3320 provides solar system owners a high-performance solution at the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour.”   …

Via National Semiconductor: SolarMagic Chipset (Link).

SolarMagic Power Optimizer Spec Sheet (PDF).

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ProLogis expects to understand emerging solar panel technologies and the installation requirements by testing manufacturers’ solar modules at its site in Denver, Colorado.  This supports the company’s accelerated deployment of distributed rooftop solar power generation across its footprint.  …

…   “The Test Site totals 11 kWp DC of power generation capacity from 99 modules and eight different module manufacturers: Ascent Solar, First Solar, GS-Solar, MiaSole, Solyndra, Suniva, United Solar Ovonic and Xunlight.

Already generating power, the initial configuration provides side-by-side comparisons of several module technologies, including monocrystalline, glass-on-glass thin film and membrane-applied thin film modules.

In addition, the installation contains 16 individually monitored strings, each designed to test a certain system parameter. 

As a part of the Test Site, and in partnership with HatiCon Solar, ProLogis has designed a new racking system especially for utility-scale rooftop solar installations. ”   …

Via ProLogis: Test Site in Denver (Link).

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The US Army is getting greener.  They are beginning " ... development of a 500-megawatt solar power plant at Fort Irwin, Calif."

" ... allow ... commercial developers to use land at Fort Irwin to construct a solar power plant there between 2013 and 2022. ... will provide power to both the civilian power grid in California, and to Fort Irwin, home of the Army's National Training Center."

" ... the Army will provide to the developers, for as many as 50 years, up to 14,000 acres of land. .. Army receives rent for the land through cash or in-kind services."

" ... facility with both concentrated solar thermal and photovoltaic technology. ... will be built in phases, with a project end date expected around 2022. But Phase 1A of the project, with a completion of around 2014, is expected to provide enough power to sustain Fort Irwin."

Via:  US Army LINK

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Academics take sabbatical to demonstrate sustainable boat and observe ecosystems on trip through the loop.  …

…   “As far as we know, this is the only hybrid diesel-solar powered canal boat in the United States, said Carlsen.  If successful, the trip may be the first circumnavigation of the North American Great Loop powered in an environmentally sustainable way.”   …

Via Penn State: Solar-powered canal boat (Link).

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Course is scheduled for this June 23rd and 24th at Onondaga Community College through SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  …

…   “The advanced course is geared toward PV installers and engineers who have experience with PV systems. It offers participants an overview of commercial PV systems in a two-day workshop. The course is recommended for those who have taken an introductory installer course or have previous installer experience.”   …

Via SUNY: PV Installer Course.

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Victor Valley College and SolFocus celebrated the opening of the new solar power plant on the college campus.  The solar installation deploys concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) and is sized to generate one megawatt of solar power for Victor Valley College in California.  ...

...   "The Victor Valley College solar micro-generating facility is now connected to the regional electrical grid operated by Southern California Edison and will produce approximately 2.6 million kilowatt-hours annually, which is roughly 30 percent of the College’s electricity demand. "   ....

Via SolFocus: Victor Valley College Solar Power Plant (Link).

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President Obama gets to see solar technology up close and personal at the Solyndra factory in California.  Solyndra builds cylindrical solar panels that convert more of the sun rays into power.  The company benefited from investments through the Recovery Act.  …

…   “… construction of the new facility has created over 3,000 construction-related jobs and the new factory could create up to 1,000 long-term new jobs.  The Solyndra project is just one of the many ways the Administration is supporting clean energy manufacturing in America.  Today Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman participated in a ground breaking ceremony for Nissan North America’s new advanced batter manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tennessee. ”   …

Via The Whitehouse: Make Things.

Supply chain impact of the solar factory investment …

Posted by Green Tech at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Ian Rousseau, a native of South Hero, Vt., who is completing undergraduate studies in physics, will study Novel Solar Energy Conversion via Terahertz Rectification in Germany. " ...

Continue reading "Fulbright enables Solar Studies" »

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... "Solaicx has developed proprietary continuous crystal growth manufacturing technology which yields low-cost, high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon wafers for the photovoltaic solar industry. The Solaicx technology allows for very high-volume crystal growth compared to the silicon ingots produced in the traditional precision semiconductor manufacturing process. The enhanced electrical performance of wafers from Solaicx ingots allows solar cell manufacturers to create higher efficiency cells with very competitive silicon costs. In addition to these customer benefits, the combined company will have low-cost polysilicon and crystal operations in North America and sales and support offices around the world, allowing the company to provide customers with industry leading customer service. " ...

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"... U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and Siemens Corporation has presented the 3rd Annual Siemens Sustainable Community Award ... to the City of Philadelphia. ... recognizes Philadelphia’s outstanding efforts to achieve complementary economic, environmental and social goals, ..."

"... training our workforce to install solar panels and cool roofs, and we’re putting Philadelphians to work weatherizing homes and installing green stormwater management infrastructure."

Via: City of Philadelphia LINK

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Natcore Technology and Vanguard Solar combine to advance the efficiency of solar energy conversion.  Natcore Technology is the exclusive licensee, from Rice University, of a thin-film growth technology enabling room-temperature growth of various silicon oxides on silicon wafers in a liquid phase deposition (LPD) process.  Natcore’s acquisition of Vanguard Solar will close after appropriate due diligence.  …

…   “The first-generation products from Vanguard’s method could produce 15%-16% efficiencies at module costs of 60¢ to 70¢ per watt. It is anticipated that second-generation technology could achieve 20% efficiencies at even lower costs per watt.

The investment for production facilities is projected as low as $10 million to $15 million per 100-megawatt to 150-megawatt production capability, as compared with current costs of as much as $250 million for standard solar-cell production facilities.

Vanguard’s production equipment would be designed for insertion into an existing roll-to-roll film-coating line of the sort that has been displaced by the emergence of digital photography. All production materials are widely available and dramatically cheaper than silicon and other thin film systems.

If successfully developed, the process would enable a very cost-efficient production capability in large-scale facilities.”   …

Via Natcore: Solar Science Portfolio Expands.

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Solar panel performance is boosted with anti-reflective coating.  …

…   “This same is true of conventional solar panels, which is why some industrial solar arrays are mechanized to slowly move throughout the day so their panels are perfectly aligned with the sun’s position in the sky. Without this automated movement, the panels would not be optimally positioned and would therefore absorb less sunlight. The tradeoff for this increased efficiency, however, is the energy needed to power the automation system, the cost of upkeeping this system, and the possibility of errors or misalignment.  Lin’s discovery could antiquate these automated solar arrays, as his antireflective coating absorbs sunlight evenly and equally from all angles.”   …

Via RPI: Absorption of Sunlight.

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Amonix invests in solar manufacturing capacity in Nevada.  …

…   “Amonix announced that plans to use $5.9 million of a $9.5 million investment tax credit from the Recovery Act’s Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit awarded in 2010 to establish a new manufacturing facility in Southern Nevada are well underway, and that the facility will be open by the end of 2010.

When fully operational, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 150 MW of CPV solar systems and employ 278 people in management, technical and production jobs. ”   …

Via Amonix: CPV Nevada Plant.

Amonix designs and manufactures concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems that require less water, use land better, and produce more energy per acre than any other solar technology.  Amonix is headquartered in Seal Beach, California. with expanded manufacturing facilities planned for Nevada and Arizona.

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Springside School - Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia has  the largest solar installation in the city of Philadelphia.  You can see the solar progress with the monitoring station ... the system has the capacity of 92.4 kW DC.

As of May 15th, 2010 the system has generated 21,201 kWH - equivalent to powering 2 homes for a year.

See  the current operation / historical data at LINK

 Via:  Springside School  LINK

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California solar farm begins operations with generating capacity of five mega-watts.  …

… “CalRENEW-1 consists of more than 50,000 solar panels covering almost 50 acres. Development and construction of the solar farm created scores of green collar jobs and solar installer training opportunities in the Central Valley. Successful completion of the project on schedule and budget demonstrates Cleantech America's competence to marshal and manage the many resources necessary to complete large-scale renewable projects and bring them into commercial operation. ”   …

Via CleanTech: Utility-Scale Solar Farm.

CalRENEW-1 became the first utility-scale solar photovoltaic farm to be approved under California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard program in 2008.

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Monocrystalline solar photovoltaic module uses manufacturing and materials technology called Quad Max to deliver performance to the rooftop energy market segment.  …

…   “Trina Solar developed Quad Max technology using innovative manufacturing processes and proprietary, state-of-the-art metallization and passivation techniques, which have allowed Quad Max cells to yield conversion efficiencies of up to 18.8% in test laboratory production. The product's square shape allows the monocrystalline cell to harvest more sunlight by avoiding surface area loss typical with conventional octagon-shaped cells.”   …

Via Trina Solar: Module TSM-DC80 with Quad Max Cell Technology.

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Stanford Univ C3Nano team wins the MIT Clean Energy Prize for their carbon nanotechnology based solution for thin film electrodes which permits sunlight to flow through.  …

…   “The team of PhD chemical engineering students has developed a carbon nano-based transparent electrode that will increase the efficiency of thin film photovoltaic solar panels by allowing up to 12 percent more sunlight to penetrate the panels.

The electrode – a conductor through which electric current is passed – is also less expensive, more lightweight and flexible than electrodes made out of conventional materials. ”   …

Via NStar: Electrode Design to Improve Solar Panel Performance.

In the clean energy competition, C3Nano has developed a new transparent electrode material that they believe will make photovoltaic solar panels both cheaper and more efficient.

The MIT Clean Energy competition:  MIT CEP is organized and run by students enrolled in MIT’s science and engineering schools and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

C3Nano team developed proprietary transparent electrode that outperforms leading transparent electrodes and delivers efficiency of photovoltaics by 1%.

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Photovoltaic and Concentrating Solar Power are seen as the key solar technologies to increase adoption over the long term.  …

…   “The combination of solar photovoltaics and concentrating solar power offers considerable prospects for enhancing energy security while reducing energy-related CO2 emissions by almost six billion tonnes per year by 2050. The roadmaps detail the technology milestones that would make this possible …”   …

Via IEA: Technology Roadmap.

Concentrated solar will require infrastructure investments to transport the electricity generated in remote, sunny regions.  …

…   “IEA expects CSP to become competitive for peak and mid-peak loads by 2020 in the sunniest places if appropriate policies are adopted. Its further expansion will depend on the development of dedicated transport lines that will bring CSP electricity to a greater number of large consumption centres. Some of them will have to be developed within large countries such as China, India and the USA. Others will cross border, and many will be needed to link the southern and northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. ”   …

IEA sees solar at quarter of world electricity by 2050.

Solar photovoltaic technology roadmap (PDF).  New technology is needed to support grid integration.  …

…   “The PV industry, grid operators and utilities will need to develop new technologies and strategies to integrate large amounts of PV into flexible, efficient and smart grids.”   …

Concentrating solar power technology roadmap (PDF).  CSP will require energy storage to meet 24 hour coverage of power needs.  …

…   “integrated thermal storage is an important feature of CSP plants, and virtually all of them have fuel-power backup capacity. Thus, CSP offers firm, flexible electrical production capacity to utilities and grid operators while also enabling effective management of a greater share of variable energy from other renewable sources … ”   …

Posted by Green Tech at 09:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Green plants and certain bacteria are able to transfer the energy harvested from sunlight through a network of light harvesting pigment-protein complexes and into reaction centers with nearly 100-percent efficiency. " ...

Continue reading "Understanding High Efficiency Solar Photosynthesis" »

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Mechanical engineers focus on understanding solar cell production methods.  …

… “overview of the Thin Film Solar Cell technology and in particular the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) used in all types of cell production … ”   …

Via Colorado State University: Presentation

Posted by Green Tech at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Navy break ground on solar energy project at Guam base.  …

…   “The solar photovoltaic project represents one of three components in the Navy’s $34.1 million initiative to reduce energy consumption on Guam through its Energy Savings Performance Contract … ”   …

Via Guam PDN: $5.9 million solar energy project

Posted by Green Tech at 06:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Skyline Solar receives patent through the accelerated program by the USPTO for its Dual Trough Concentrating Solar Photovoltaic Module.  …

… “US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued patent number 7,709,730, which covers fundamental aspects of Skyline Solar’s HGS architecture.

The patent issuance makes Skyline Solar one of the first companies to receive patent approval under the USPTO’s Green Technology Pilot Program. 

The expedited examination provided by the USPTO program highlights the commitment by the US government to maintain leadership in green technology innovation in the face of increasing competition from other countries.

Traditionally, green technology companies could expect to wait several years before being issued a patent. ”   …

Via Skyline Solar: Accelerated Patent Approval under Green Technology Pilot Program

Skyline Solar manufactures High Gain Solar (HGS) arrays incorporating industry-proven silicon cells, durable reflector materials and single-axis tracking into a complete, easy-to-deploy system. Skyline HGS delivers ten times more energy per gram of silicon than traditional flat panel systems.

Posted by Green Tech at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The project involves the installation of 24 flat plate solar collectors, which aid in the transmission of energy to solar storage tanks. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 FiberCell technology uses a honeycomb shape that allows  for greater light absorption ... by catching light from multiple angles having more periods of "peak" efficiency.  The cells are fiber based and use dye from the pokeberry to increase efficiency.  FiberCell is based in Winston-Salem NC.

"FiberCell ... strong IP position comes from a portfolio of patents covering its unique light gathering design, absorber compositions, and manufacturing approach.... "

" ... FiberCell absorbers are fully integrated into the light collection system, making it a solar cell and solar concentrator in one. ...  "

" ...  depends only in part on organic absorbers. This allows for better overall sealant performance. ... During a day, FiberCell can generate up to twice the power of a traditional flat panel device of the same effeciency rating ...  Internal resistances are very low for the cells. ... Rugged performance with continued module funtion even when individual cells are lost due to damage ..."

Via:  Fibercell  LINK  and SmartPlanet

Posted by Green Dude at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Coherent partners to deliver technologies that create efficiencies in the solar cell manufacturing process.  …

… “Coherent has also entered into a joint development agreement with SiOnyx, Inc., for solar cell manufacturing using black silicon processing, which is based upon the interaction of ultrafast laser light and silicon in a controlled environment.

Black silicon based materials and processes offer a number of potential advantages over currently deployed technologies, including cost reductions, an increase in conversion efficiencies, as well as an increase in manufacturing yields. ”   …

Via Coherent: Joint development agreement with SiOnyx.

Posted by Green Tech at 04:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Check out this float-o-voltaic system at Far Niente Winery in Oakville, California.  Since land is so expensive / valuable they using an irrigation pond to "host" their solar system.  Via: Far Niente Winery  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dupont sees photovoltaic sales improve ahead of expectations and bumps up its near term revenue objective.  …

... "DuPont now expects its sales into photovoltaics to exceed $1 billion in 2011, which is a year ahead of plan, and has set a new goal to exceed $2 billion in sales by 2014.

In 2009, DuPont sales to the photovoltaic market exceeded $550 million - an increase of over 25 percent from the previous year - and outperformed the broader industry, which experienced significantly lower growth, estimated to be 10 percent or less. DuPont’s growth is supported by new innovations that improve module efficiency and lifetime, and enable new photovoltaic technologies and applications, which ultimately accelerate the industry’s drive to bring costs down in line with other forms of energy.
DuPont materials and technology solutions are designed to help increase the efficiency and lifetime of crystalline silicon and thin film photovoltaic solar modules, while reducing total systems cost and enabling the photovoltaic industry to reach grid parity faster. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "When complete, the UB solar installation's 5,000 photovoltaic (PV) panels will generate solar energy for 735 student apartments at UB, reducing the university's carbon emissions by more than 500 metric tons per year. The project will serve as a cornerstone of NYPA's $21 million statewide renewable energy program. " ...

Continue reading "Solar Array Student Residence" »

Posted by Green Tech at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The program, once complete, will generate up to 500 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, enough to meet the needs of about 150,000 homes in PG&E's Northern and Central California service area. " ...

Continue reading "Major Solar Home Initiative in Northern California" »

Posted by Green Tech at 05:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "In just the last year, the average price of solar panels dropped by 40 percent, and more price reductions are expected in the year ahead. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "A doubling in size of the residential PV market and three new CSP plants helped lift the U.S. solar electric market 37 percent in annual installations over 2008 from 351 MW in 2008 to 481 MW in 2009. Solar water heating (SWH) installations managed 10 percent year-over-year growth, while the solar pool heating (SPH) market suffered along with the broader construction industry, dropping 10 percent. " ...

Continue reading "Solar energy achievements grow" »

Posted by Green Tech at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Probably only the fact that they are the inspirations for designs submitted by three internationally renowned artists, finalists in a UB-sponsored public art competition for a solar installation to be constructed on the university’s North Campus in partnership with the New York Power Authority (NYPA). " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "It says it expects to install a 4.1-megawatt solar power system at its 200-acre campus in South Brunswick, N.J., next year. Dow Jones says the system will be one of the largest solar installations at a single commercial site in the U.S. The panels will cover nearly 230,000 square feet of parking space ... " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "These new solar cells are made from millions of miniscule plastic fibers that can collect sunlight at oblique angles – even when the sun is rising and setting. Flat-cell technology captures light primarily when the sun is directly above. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Li and his collaborators tried a different idea. By attaching a semi-rigid, semi-flexible, three-dimensional sidegroup to the sides of the graphene, they were able to keep graphene sheets as big as 168 carbon atoms from adhering to one another. With this method, they could make the graphene sheets from smaller molecules (bottom-up) so that they are uniform in size. To the scientists' knowledge, it is the biggest stable graphene sheet ever made with the bottom-up approach. " ...

Continue reading "Carbon Solar Cell using Graphene Sheet" »

Posted by Green Tech at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "solar-powered boat made a gentle plop as it was lowered by a huge crane on to the waters of the Kiel firth in northern Germany today ... " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "By allowing plastic solar cells to be manufactured using low-cost printing techniques and by replacing ITO as the primary conducting material, the plastics the team developed hold potential for lowering the cost of solar panels. Currently, the electricity generated by plastic solar cells is collected by a transparent metal conductor made of ITO. The conductor must be transparent so that sunlight can pass through it to the materials in solar cells that absorb the light energy. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The new photovoltaic system will consist of more than 3,300 panels that will be installed on single-axis ground mount trackers at the plant. The city entered into a 20 year contract and will buy power from PPM, as if PPM were a utility company. The city won’t pay for the installation of the panels. " ...

Continue reading "California Waste Treatment Plant Implements Solar Power" »

Posted by Green Tech at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The ground-mount facility built on land in Bakersfield, CA formerly occupied by a refinery, has a nameplate capacity of 190kW and is projected to produce more than 300 MWh per year. The array of Abound Solar’s AB1 modules comprises one of the largest components of Chevron’s Project Brightfield, a test facility to compare the performance of multiple emerging solar technology products. " ...

Continue reading "Project Brightfield Solar" »

Posted by Green Tech at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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... "the vision for thin film solar panels is that they will be lightweight, inexpensive and can one day be wrapped around objects, conform to a roof, or even hung like sails. GE is stepping up the pace of its thin film work in conjunction with PrimeStar Solar Inc., which is an Arvada, Colorado-based startup firm in which GE is a majority investor.

The GE/PrimeStar product is being developed at PrimeStar’s headquarters in Arvada, Colo. A team of PrimeStar technologists with more than 100 years of combined thin film deposition expertise is working closely with GE researchers, who are focused on several key areas in order to achieve best-in-class technology.

GE’s research team in Niskayuna, N.Y., is working on all facets of CdTe module development, including material growth, device development and robust process development. Their technical expertise cuts across diverse fields such as surface chemistry, laser processing and plasma physics. " ...

Continue reading "Thin film solar cells research focus by GE" »

Posted by Green Tech at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The project, designed for the roof of Thorne, includes 24 glazed flat plate solar collectors, which will make up a 960-square-foot solar thermal array, and the piping to solar storage tanks. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

India has lots of gas and diesel powered rickshaws ... these emit significant quantities of pollution ... there is work to outfit rickshaws with batteries and an electric motor.  These cost close to 3 x the cost of a traditional rickshaw but the government may offer loans to help offset the cost differential.

" ... Soleckshaw ... can either be pedaled or run off of a 36-volt battery that is charged every 45 miles from a solar charging station ... prototype ... seats three and has electric lights, an FM radio, four mobile phone chargers, and can travel at 12 and a half miles per hour. ..."

Via:  cleanechnica LINK

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Movie theaters are embracing the the green movement including LEED.

" ... theaters are making an effort to help viewers go green ... including Georgia-based Carmike Cinemas ... built a LEED-certified theater in Chattanooga, Tenn., which opened in November ... "

" ... Environmentally conscious theater construction and design are growing trends ... Some theaters are installing solar panels ... and using recycled building materials for new theaters and existing facilities that are under renovation."

Via: FORBES LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chicago's ConEd is conducting an experiment to determine how consumers manage their energy use when they have metrics on use, cost and use patterns.  Home will be outfitted with solar panels and some homes will be allowed to sell back to the grid and others will not.

" ... will install smart electric meters and price the homes’ electric use by the hour. Half of the homes will be able to gain credits by sending stored solar power back to the grid. The other half won’t be able to store their energy."

" ... whether consumers have the ability, with this technology, to become little utilities. They will be able to buy and sell electricity at a real-time hourly price, which is very close to the wholesale price, from their homes."

Via:  SmartPlanet LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Harness the Power of the Sun" »

Posted by Green Tech at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Solar Energy Technology Challenge" »

Posted by Green Tech at 04:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"PlanetSolar ... topped by a large array of photovoltaic solar panels ... will be both silent and clean. The goal is to navigate around the world at an average speed of 8 knots ..."

" .. will be home to two sailors during the round-the-world attempt, and can accommodate up to fifty people during the promotional trips planned ..."

Via:  PlanetSolar  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "First Solar’s management team has confidence in the 2010 financial guidance we gave on Feb 18 as well as the company’s prospects for long-term growth…We continue to execute on our technology and strategic roadmaps ... " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

David de Rothschild has built a boat from recycled plastic bottles and plans to sail it from San Francisco in the US to Sydney, Australia. 

 Yes he is from the famous Rothschild family. 

The boat and crew will travel in a green manner (composting toilets and vertical green garden fertilized by composted poop) Power for on board electronics comes from solar cells and wind turbines.  The boat uses glue made from cashew nuts.

Follow the journey and check out the web site for lots of geen info.

Via:  Plastiki  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Green Tech at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

" ... solar-powered sensor system developed at the University of Michigan is the smallest that can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually."

" ...could enable new biomedical implants as well as home-, building- and bridge-monitoring devices. It could vastly improve the efficiency and cost of current environmental sensor networks designed to detect movement or track air and water quality."

" ... can run nearly perpetually if periodically exposed to reasonable lighting conditions, even indoors ... "

" ... could enable less-invasive ways to monitor pressure changes in the eyes, brain, and in tumors in patients with glaucoma, head trauma, or cancer. In the body, the sensor could conceivably harvest energy from movement or heat, rather than light, the engineers say."

 Via:  University of Michigan  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Green Tech at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... Each participating school will receive a 10-kilowatt solar energy system with a battery back-up -- complete with installation. The system will provide enough power for critical energy needs such as lighting, communications and essential medical equipment." ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The UTS Tower in Sydney, Australia is may get a proposed upgrade - a solar skin.  This PV "wrap" would turn the tower into a very green and energy efficient structure.

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Tower "upgrade" is " ... Fueled by the university’s sustainability drive ... turn the building into a “landmark environmental tower” by wrapping it in a photovoltaic skin."

"The sustainable energy system, devised by postgraduate students in 2008, has been funded to allow students to build and test the project."

 There are a number of propose upgrades including wind turbines and cogeneration ... the solar skin " ... stretches around walls and roof elements ... the building is covered in a lightweight composite mesh textile that can collect rain water, generate electricity and complement the plan’s passive ventilation system that uses natural convection."

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Scientists from CalTech have developed technology that might lead efficient solar cells from silicon nanowires.  This could lead to all sorts of configurations for solar cells including fabrics.

" ... CalTech scientists say they have the underlying technology. Silicon nanowires, arranged in arrays, have been engineered that ... grab power from visible light ..."

" ... a cell geometry that not only uses 1/100th the material of traditional wafer-based devices, but also may offer increased photovoltaic efficiency owing to an effective optical concentration of up to 20 times ...”

"If nanowires can be woven into a viable matrix, combined with other material, it means fabrics can double as solar connectors, once they have a way to off-load the power they create."

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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A MIT spin-off has created a solar powered refrigerator that can bring cooling to those far from the electric grid - especially those in developing countries like India and China.

"Promethean Power Systems has developed a solar-powered refrigeration system for commercial cold-storage applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries. ... store and preserve perishable food items ... without the need for expensive diesel-powered generators"

" ... a for-profit enterprise. We believe that creating a cost-effective solution for cold-chain food distribution in emerging markets is an excellent business opportunity that could deliver enormous social and environmental benefits."

" ...  study revealed a large business opportunity in India for an efficient cold-storage solution targeted to the dairy industry ... Cold-storage at the village level minimizes the number of collection trips and reduces transportation cost in half. Today, the only alternative is to use commercial refrigerators with diesel-powered backup generators, a no-win situation that further exposes the dairies to escalating energy prices. "

Via:  Coolectrica  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Solar Distinction plans to initially operate a 25-megawatt solar panel manufacturing plant, then expand to 50-megawatts within two years. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 05:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The GSA is renovating the 18 story federal building in Portland, Oregon.  Green features include a vertical green wall and reduced water usage with low flow fixtures and recycled roof water.

"... part of a $133 million renovation, the General Services Administration wants to grow “vegetated fins” on the western facade of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building ... save energy year-round using one of Mother Nature’s own tools."

" ... will use 60 to 65 percent less energy than comparable buildings. That translates to an energy cost savings of $280,000 per year."

"Solar panels could also provide up to 15 percent of the building’s power needs. Energy use for lighting will be halved."

Posted by Green Dude at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Stefan’s funding will advance research into new semiconducting polymers – plastic electronics – with adjustable, or tunable, energy levels. The use of semiconducting polymers in solar cells is a promising avenue of research aimed at achieving less expensive, more efficient solar cells. Stefan expects to improve the efficiency of organic solar cells by developing and testing new semiconducting polymers with tunable opto-electronic properties. " ...

Continue reading "Solar Cell Polymer Research" »

Posted by Green Tech at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dow has products for many part of the green economy ... from solar cells to batteries for electric cars to materials for solar cells.

"Dow ... has embarked upon a multi-pronged strategy to capitalize on the demand for renewable energy and low-carbon alternatives to conventional products. ... "

" ... Dow's secret [is] ... Material science, i.e. membranes, coatings and other difficult-to-manufacture items that require a lot of chemical know-how. ... will have a huge impact on ... core green markets ..."

" ... Dow Corning ... brought a silicone sealant originally devised for outer space solar panels to the conventional solar panel market ... Dow signed a multimillion dollar, multi-year research alliance with Caltech to develop next generation solar technologies. ..."

" ... will sell copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar roofing tiles. Initial customers for the tiles, developed in conjunction with Global Solar, include mass market home builders Lennar and Pulte Homes."

" ... is sponsoring Electric Avenue, the electric car hall at the North American International Auto Show  .... Dow Kokam, a joint venture, will also discuss batteries for electric cars at the show."

" ... wants a larger part of the water purification and desalination market, buying Rohm & Haas to help it expand ..."

Via:  Greentechmedia  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 05:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Samsung and Korea Electric Power Corp. will invest $6.6 billion into wind and solar projects in Ontario ... will build and maintain power plants as well as erect four new factories in North America for making the equipment for the power plants ... plants will employ 1,440 and building and maintaining the power plant will keep 16,000 busy ..."

" ... 2.5 gigawatts of renewable capacity ... triple renewable capacity in Ontario."

" ... Samsung hopes to translate its expertise in electronics, deep financial pocket, and manufacturing heft into a leading role in building management systems, energy efficient electronics and solar power ... "

"Samsung has already stated a public goal of becoming number one in solar in 2015 ... laid out an ambitious carbon reduction plan ... wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both its operations and from the use of its products by 50 percent by 2013 on a normalized sales basis...."

In 2008, Samsung and its products emitted 9.4 million tons of greenhouse gases with about 60 percent of the emissions coming indirectly through products. ..."

Via:  Greentechmedia  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 04:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "One of the scientists involved in the research of silicon-based semiconductors accidentally left a sample of silicon doped with impurities in the sunlight. What a surprise it was when he noticed an electric signal coming out of the detector that the sample was connected to. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Intel's new solar installations are planned to be completed over the next 7 months. Each project would currently rank as one of the 10 largest solar installations in its respective region if activated today. For example, the panels planned for Intel's Chandler and Ocotillo campuses in Arizona would each currently be the fifth largest in SRP service territory or the second largest when combined, according to the utility company. All of the solar panels will be installed on the roofs of Intel's facilities, with the major exception of the largest installation, an approximately 1-megawatt solar field in Folsom, Calif. The Folsom installation will span nearly six acres of land on campus, which would make it one of the largest non-utility ground-mounts in California at the time of this release. All of the installations will use the power generated at their respective site, making them an efficient source of electricity with savings on grid delivery losses. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 08:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Among states, California is expected to maintain first place, and New Jersey is likely to come in second, with Florida making a strong showing for the first time. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The facility will produce premium quality mono-crystal silicon ingots for photovoltaic solar power generation. The company’s HiCz brand products increase the efficiency of solar cells by 15% or more, helping manufacturers of solar panels generate electricity more efficiently at a cost equivalent to or better than can be done using multi-crystal silicon ingot. " ...

Continue reading "Tennessee Solar Manufacturing" »

Posted by Green Tech at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Semprius will focus efforts toward a massively parallel, microcell-based CPV receiver. This approach combines the benefits of unique-to-solar manufacturing techniques with the performance and operational benefits of microcell concentrating photovoltaics. " ...

Continue reading "Early Stage Solar Technology Investment" »

Posted by Green Tech at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The nanoparticle inks that we are making could ultimately be printed onto nearly any substrate, using low-cost roll-to-roll processes — manufacturing a solar cell would be like printing a newspaper. " ...

Continue reading "Nano-Particle Solar Cell Ink" »

Posted by Green Tech at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The film line expansion will be located at the DuPont Circleville, Ohio, facility using existing and retrofitted assets. This expansion provides Tedlar oriented film capacity to support global demand of over 10 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic module production. The investment will deliver DuPont technology to help meet increasing needs for energy and environmental sustainability. This reflects the company’s recently announced commitment to focus on meeting four emerging global trends, one of which is decreasing dependence on fossil fuels. Film production is scheduled to start up in September 2011. " ...

Continue reading "Dupont Solar Photovoltaic Expansion in Circleville Ohio Facility Increases Film Capacity" »

Posted by Green Tech at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The WalMart at 4210 East Highland Ave. is one of three locations recently retrofitted with solar panels. ... The system generates about 900,000 kilowatts per year, or about 30 percent of the stores total energy usage ... " ...

Continue reading "Walmart Solar Rooftops" »

Posted by Green Tech at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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In addition to being know for its green efforts (solar panels and highly efficient servers) Google is possibly entering ther power business by applying for a license to buy and sell wholesale power.

"... are other non-utilities already in the power business. Usually other firms with similar heavy power needs.  ... Google Energy subsidiary was formed in late 2009 ... putting it into a stronger position to balance Google’s energy needs with its goal to promote the use of alternative energy for electricity generation ... it will shop for the best sources of renewable energy to run its operations ... stated goal is to become carbon-neutral."

Via:  ZDNet  LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Extreme hydrolysis is a particular problem, and the adhesives especially need to exhibit enormous resilience. UV resistance is also paramount as the backsheet must not be allowed to yellow. " ...

Continue reading "Solar Cell Backsheet Materials" »

Posted by Green Tech at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "In this project, Ferro will engineer a vitreous frit system to provide reliable air-tight and water-tight seals for second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. Ferro will collaborate with the Edison Welding Institute, StrateNexus Technologies, and The Ohio State University, all of Columbus, Ohio, in developing, testing and commercializing this new technology. If successful, the new sealing materials will enable Ferro to solve a significant problem with second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. As with all solar cells, thin-film cells require a hermetic seal to operate reliably for their expected lifetimes of 20-plus years. This can be a problem because most current thin-film solar cell modules are designed to be sealed with organic sealants that typically lose their hermeticity in time, especially if exposed to sunlight containing UV radiation. " ...

Continue reading "Ferro Solar Cell Sealing Research Project" »

Posted by Green Tech at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Solar patents in the last quarter tracked approached the level of wind patents, which have been in second place to fuel cell patents ... " ...

Continue reading "Solar Energy Patents" »

Posted by Green Tech at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "largest single rooftop solar power installation in Maryland at Staples' 200,200 square foot fulfillment center in Hanover. The 1.01 megawatt solar installation covers nearly 175,000 square feet of roof space, larger than three football fields. The environmental savings associated with the system will offset more than 43 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) over 20 years, equivalent to removing CO2 produced by more than 4,200 automobiles driving 12,000 miles per year. The zero-emission, silent photovoltaic system will generate approximately 1.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, and 21 million kWh during the initial 20 years of the project. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The Boston company's approach would decrease the total installed cost of a solar power system by half. It would also decrease the amount of expensive silicon material needed to make solar cells by a factor of more than three ... " ...

Continue reading "Solar Photovoltaic Silicon Manufacturing Transformation" »

Posted by Green Tech at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "California should cover every available rooftop with photovoltaic solar panels, especially commercial buildings. The panels can be installed quickly, unlike large solar power plants ... " ...

Continue reading "Saturation Solar Scenario for California Rooftops" »

Posted by Green Tech at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Chicago Solar Panel Array 50kW" »

Posted by Green Tech at 08:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

" ... inhabitants on the small Danish island of Samso have ... become one of the first industrialised places in the world to qualify as being totally energy self-sufficient ... Denmark ... can now boast a region that can be used by the rest of the planet as the blueprint for future green energy production ... started in 1997 when Samso won a competition ... to become Denmark's "Renewable Energy Island" by presenting a 10-year plan to convert its energy consumption from oil and gas to clean technology ... 21 wind turbines have been built on Samso ..."

" ... houses in Samso's 22 villages are heated by power plants that rely on furnaces fired by wood chips and straw and farms of man-sized solar panels inhabit the fields ... project also creates new jobs as ... island's plumbers and carpenters have now all become experts in energy-saving home conversion and insulation techniques, and even get the opportunity to carry out installations in mainland Europe and the US ..."

For more on this project check out this video ...

Via: Power and Energy News LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The drive-in station was built by Beautiful Earth (using recycled shipping containers) on land it owns just blocks from company headquarters. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 06:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "However, these lower prices, diversification of the demand base, and positive incentive movement in multiple regions are now expected to drive substantially higher demand in 2010. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 08:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Bocian cites lack of funding for basic research as the reason why today’s solar cells have only 6-11 percent energy efficiency. But there is hope in Congress’s recent approval of funding for PARC and 45 similar Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) through the Department of Energy. " ...

Continue reading "Solar Cell Efficiency Funding Challenge" »

Posted by Green Tech at 01:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Green Tech at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "As the aircraft gently took up speed, the huge wing of the Solar Impulse gradually rose into the air under intense admiration of the project promoters, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg. After some 350 metres of flight at an altitude of one meter, the prototype graciously landed on the centre of the runway, triggering a frenzied applause from the team. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Greater Cincinnati Water Works (Hamilton County) - $775,655 to install a 280 kW photovoltaic solar array rooftop system; Hull & Associates Inc, Bedford Office (Cuyahoga County) - $266,254 to install a 93 kW solar photovoltaic system at its office building in Northeast Ohio; Hull & Associates Inc, PNA Solar Project (Wood County) - $680,782 to install a 250 kW solar array project on Pilkington North America, Inc’s (PNA) Plant 21 site. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Greek solar-panel manufacturing company intends to build a production facility at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a development that local officials hailed yesterday as an important step in positioning the city to be a key player in the emerging clean-energy economy. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Green Tech at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Allen Upward, a research engineer at the University of British Columbia (UBC) said the system is seven times more effective than traditional solar methods. " ...

Continue reading "Solar Tech Evolution Acceleration is Happening Now" »

Posted by Green Tech at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Green Tech at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On November 12, 2009 Dow and Caltech " ... announced ... a multi-year research collaboration ... in solar energy ... aimed at aligning Dow’s capabilities in CIGS based materials with Caltech’s research in next generati aterials."

" ... research ... will initially focus on direct band gap materials that incorporate elements that are less expensive and more commonly available than those used in today’s thin film PV semiconductors.  ..."

"Photovoltaics provide carbon free electricity, however the cost and aesthetics of current PV systems has limited its adoption ... Dow recently announced its first building integrated photovoltaic product, the Dow^TM POWERHOUSE^TM Solar Shingle ..."

Via:  The Dow Chemical Company LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 06:39 PM | Permalink

... "The DOW POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle integrates low-cost, thin-film CIGS photovoltaic cells into a proprietary roofing shingle design, which represents a multi-functional solar energy generating roofing product. The innovative product design reduces installation costs because conventional roofing shingles and solar generating shingles are installed simultaneously by roofing contractors - no specialized skills or knowledge of solar array installations are required. " ...

Continue reading "Solar Shingle Time Invention of Year" »

Posted by Green Tech at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The $6 million project will provide about one-third of the energy needed to operate the plant. " ...

Continue reading "Solar Energy Integration Municipal Water Treatment" »

Posted by Green Tech at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Mars NJ Solar Energy Garden Powers Facility" »

Posted by Green Tech at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Number two for solar electric power, and number one in total solar installations on a per capita basis, is small and not-so-sunny New Jersey, more known environment-wise for its abundance of Superfund sites. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Samsung is well know for developing greener cell phones -- including the Reclaim ...

Now Samsung introduces the Blue Earth environmentally friendly green cell phone.  Unlike other green cell phones this is a full featured phone.  Among the green features are ... a solar cell for charging, low power use while in standby mode and fewer harmful materials.

" ...  Samsung Blue Earth combines the latest multimedia features ... while achieving lower energy consumption and incorporating eco-friendly materials ... made from Post Consumer Material (PCM), ... extracted from water bottles, helping to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. ... free from harmful substances such as Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Phthalate."

" ... user interface ... designed to draw attention to preserving our fragile environment. With “Eco mode,” screen brightness, backlight duration and Bluetooth can be set to an energy-efficient mode with just one click. ... “Eco Walk” ... allows users to ... calculate the reduction in CO2 emission realized by walking as opposed to using a motor vehicle. ... allows users to see the value of walking by calculating the number of trees that have been saved."

"...  the solar panel located on the back of the phone ... can generate enough power to use the device anytime and anywhere. ..."

Via: Samsung LINK

Posted by Green Dude at 07:11 AM | Permalink