Amazon Green

Friday 27 May 2011

California, a leader in solar power, has found many ways to harness the energy of the sun.



(Source: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/energy-environment/solar-power.html)

Thursday 26 May 2011

Thin panels could enhance collection of solar energy By STEVE EVERLY



A collaboration that includes a University of Missouri engineering professor is aiming to revolutionize how solar energy is collected and converted into electricity.
Tapping solar energy now relies on photovoltaic panels, but that technology can take advantage of only about one-third of the radiation spectrum in sunlight.
But the research group that includes MU is taking a different approach that uses 90 percent of the spectrum, by using tiny antennas in paper-thin film. The approach is still in development, but the group is far enough along in the work, which began in 2005, that its members are confident it will perform as expected and eventually be commercially successful.
“This isn’t evolutionary, it’s revolutionary,” said Patrick Pinhero, an associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Missouri in Columbia. “Ten years out I think we replace photovoltaics.”
The collaboration making the effort includes the federal Idaho National Laboratory, where Pinhero once worked, and MicroContinuum Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., a company started by former Polaroid scientists and engineers that turn laboratory-scale technologies into devices that can be mass produced. Garrett Moddel, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Colorado, is providing expertise in the electronics needed to covert the solar radiation into electricity.
Besides solar energy, the technology could be used to collect waste energy in industrial plants. For example, the energy thrown off in the manufacturing of aluminum could be collected by the antenna film.
The approach relies on nanotechnology, which is the manipulation of material at the molecular level. Three square feet of the film contains 1.5 billion antennas. Pinhero said the film could be incorporated into roof shingles to collect solar energy or even custom made to power vehicles.
“If successful, this product will put us orders of magnitude ahead of the current solar energy technologies,” he said.
The group is seeking funding from the Department of Energy and has lined up partners that will provide matching funds as the technology progresses to the prototype and commercial stages.

(Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/25/2904359/mu-prof-helping-develop-bright.html)

Sunday 22 May 2011

3 Cool Solar Products


The world is getting greener all the time. As technology explodes, so does the great solar products that are on the market. The nice thing about solar panels and solar items is that they will lower your electricity bills immediately. So, if you have some extra money to invest, you may want to consider solar.

Check out these solar products:

Kyocera Grid Tie System- There are advantages to having a power grid tie in system. If you live in a very sunny climate, you will produce a greater amount of energy. This means that you will recoup your investment in a shorter amount of time. If you produce more electricity than you use, you will actually get money back from the electric company. Many states offer rebates to help make the cost of the Kyocera more affordable. Since energy will only become more expensive, the amount you save will increase in later years.

Power Dock Lite Solar Power Station- The PowerDock solar station can run a computer for about three hours. As long as the sun is shining, potentially it seems that you could run your laptop infinitely. It comes with an adaptor in order for it to be wall charged. The station sells for about 300 dollars on the company website and may be a little higher on some retail store websites. It could be a good buy for those who travel a lot.

Power Film Thin Film Solar Panel- One of the top advantages and features of the thin film solar panel is that they are truly flexible, which is something that most other solar panels cannot boast. Although there are other types that use thin film technology, they are not nearly as flexible as these are. They are made of a thin film that is on plastic and they use a special technology in the manufacturing to allow them to be rollable. They are also integrated monolithically, eliminating the need for you to have individual solar cells or even manual connections that are damage prone.

(Source:http://www.eco20-20.com/3-Cool-Solar-Products.html)

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Neon Green mixes fashion and gadgets wth solar power (By Mark R)

When it comes to companies, it is all about what type of image that you want to present. In the case of Neon Green, it would appear that they are a company that is techno-conscious, fashion-conscious, and environmentally conscious.
I first saw them about a year ago, when I went to CTIA Spring 2010. They had these weird gold naked mannequins at their display that looked like props from the movie Goldfinger. Of course, what got my attention were their products. 

You can see their Lil’ Piggy Power Banks here in the photo, and they are essentially solar powered keychains that serve as batteries for your mobile devices. It takes about 22-24 hours in full sunlight to get a full charge, and I’m sure they can only give your mobile device just a little charge. However, if you are in a pinch, sometimes that is all you need. These key chains will be available soon, and be in mini-USB and Apple 30-pin connector models.
In addition to this, the company also has these backpacks with larger solar panels that charge up a battery which can also power a mobile gadget. Neon Green is also famous for the Mixie Bike, a fixed gear bike that is pretty hip, too.
Head to the Neon Green site to see all their stuff as well as their catalog here, and enjoy “Solar Power”. 





(Source: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20110325/neon-green-mixes-fashion-gadgets-wth-solar-power/#more-54973)


Saturday 14 May 2011

Solar LED bricks and LED ground lightings

Solar LED bricks. This technology is using the solar power to charge a capacitor, which is stored inside of the light, and then during the night, the energy is restored. The company which is manufacturing this equipement is called Simbiousa and you can find their website here.




The bricks (or lights) are fitted with an ultra-capacitor . There is 5 LED colors for you to choose from: yellow, blue, red, green and of course white. It’s pretty cool. What do you think?


 (Source: http://www.best-solar-energy.com/solar-energy/solar-led-bricks-and-led-ground-lightings/)

Thursday 12 May 2011

Solar Power Plant which provides energy even at night

There is new installed demo project in Hawaii. It’s been installed by Keahole Solar Power. The installation of Sopogy Micro-scale Concentrating Solar Power Concentrators was done on Big Island (Hawaii).
The installation:

  • Thousand solar collectors.
  • Surface area -  3.8 acres.
  • Thermal energy – 2 megawatts. 


So there is 8,000 gallons of water heated through Electratherm “green machines”- The ElectraTherm units are called Waste Heat Generators and run on a temperature difference 20 degrees.
The result: according to Keahole, “firm, fixed power which has been deemed as the holy grail for renewable energy.”


 (Source: http://www.best-solar-energy.com/solar-energy/solar-power-plant-which-provides-energy-even-at-night/)

Bring Me Sunshine: Why home Solar Panels are a bright idea

Solar Panels for Home

Solar panels are a relatively inconspicuous adjustment to your home’s cosmetic qualities. They can be fitted to your roof to quietly generate energy by cleverly converting daylight into electric energy. There are two classes of panel to choose from. The most commonly-used are solar photo-voltaics (PV), which generate electricity from the sun’s rays. The other is solar thermal, which will heat your water. The solar hot water is then used for your needs in the house. We’ll be talking about the former in this article. You can find PV cells in a startling variety of forms, from gray roof tile look-a-like solar tiles to large black panels and even transparent cells for use in conservatories and windowpanes.

You’ll soon feel the benefit of installing solar panels in your electricity bills and, although the initial outlay can be quite high if you decide to fund it yourself, you will save money in the long run, with the Energy Saving Trust estimating that your average solar panel setup will provide around 40 per cent of your electric energy.

It is worth checking out the government’s ‘feed-in tariff’ scheme, which was brought in to replace solar panel grants. While the recession has seen a reduction in funds for the forward thinking initiative, there are still big benefits for homeowners who will, on top of saving on their electricity bills, be paid for the energy they produce and give back to the grid, so it’s still well worth checking out. You can find out all the information you need about the scheme and other aspects of installing solar energy at the Directgov website.

If you can’t afford to fork out thousands for solar equipment, then there’s good news for you, too. Many companies offer free solar panels and roof systems – just do a search online or visit the Solar trade Association website to find a participating installer. Again, the Energy Saving Trust is a great resource, and it is strongly recommended that you read their consumer guidelines for free solar panel offers. If, after all that, you’re worried about the maintenance and protection of your solar panels, then fear not. Many insurance providers will provide cover for theft or damage of your panels through your home building or sometimes even home contents insurance. Just check out what different companies offer by doing a ‘compare home insurance’ search in Google.

One of the key things to understand is that solar power can’t be stored, so any energy you don’t use will be pumped back to the grid, and you’ll therefore need to be using your appliances during the day if you want to save money on bills.

While solar panels won’t provide all your energy, they are a great start and, with lots of help from the government and solar-savvy installation companies, they’ll save you a lot of money in the long run and help make our environment that bit more green and clean for the future.
This was a guest article written and sponsored by: moneysupermarket.com

(Source: http://www.best-solar-energy.com/solar-energy/bring-me-sunshine-why-home-solar-panels-are-a-bright-idea/)

Monday 9 May 2011

Solar Pool Light (By Edwin)


There is nothing quite like the use of solar power to make sure that there is still an earth around for the next generation to live in. After all, using fossil fuels for so long has clogged up our atmosphere, not to mention having countries go to war just to get a spoil of its natural resources.
Solar power might not have an efficiency level that is agreeable to most people just yet, but it is enough for basic use such as in the case of the Solar Pool Light. This device can be set up anywhere within a pool sans wires, where it will deliver bright underwater illumination without missing a beat. A couple of solar panels are located on the top of the unit to provide adequate juice for the internal rechargeable batteries, delivering up to 10 hours of light after 10 hours of sun exposure. That’s pretty good returns – an hour of light for an hour of juice.
The four high-powered LEDs are able to generate 140 lumens to illuminate up to 1,000 square feet, and with an included remote control, you can always adjust the light output to five different levels from up to 50′ away. We do wonder whether the remote control is waterproof or not though. An LCD display on top of the unit displays the current water temperature. The light itself comes with a powerful integrated magnet which allows for easy attachment to an above ground pool or the included mounting bracket allows set up in an in-ground pool.
You can bring home the Solar Pool Light for $179.95 to brighten up your evenings spent by the poolside – pretty cheap price considering you can afford a home with a pool inside, that’s for sure. Of course, most of the rich folks should probably already use pool lights that aren’t “green” per se, but here’s an opportunity to turn things around, don’t you think so? 

(Source: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20110419/solar-pool-light/#more-55976)

Friday 6 May 2011

Solar energy - energy with a future


Clean and abundant, solar energy has soared since the turn of the century and is becoming more cost-effective. The three technologies used - photovoltaics,
low-temperature and high-temperature thermal) are now available. More and more plants are being opened, capacity records are regularly broken and ever more ambitious projects are coming down the line.
A clean energy...
Solar energy is clean, releases almost no greenhouse gases and produces no waste. And every year the earth receives 8380 times the amount of energy spent annually by humankind - 11 billion tons of oil equivalent! However, solar energy on its own cannot replace fossil fuels.
While as yet underdeveloped, it offers an important opportunity to diversify the energy mix. For example, solar technologies used on a domestic scale are both efficient and tried and tested. Low-temperature thermal solar energy uses thermal panels to convert light into hot water. This technology can be used alongside photovoltaic panels that convert light into electricity which individuals can use themselves or sell on to distributors.
Moreover, there are many photovoltaic power plants already operating or under construction. In France, the Chambéry plant has been operational since 2005, the Réunion plant has been open since 2006 and the Saint-Charles plant near Perpignan opened in 2010. Switzerland, Germany and the United States also have photovoltaic power plants, and in 2008 the huge Amareleja plant was opened in southern Portugal. This plant has installed capacity of over 46 MW and can produce 93 million kW/h per year, enough to meet the energy needs of 30,000 homes.
So solar energy is being produced in all four corners of the planet. In industrialized countries, most photovoltaic power plants are hooked up to the grid, while stand-alone facilities are more common in developing countries.
Thus solar energy is starting to develop and is now reaching maturity, even if it remains much more expensive than conventional energy sources. However, to make a decisive transition in terms of improving yield, reducing costs and diversifying applications, the solar sector still needs significant human, technological and financial investment.

(Source: http://www.planete-energies.com/en/the-energy-of-tomorrow/the-future-for-current-energy-sources/renewable-energy/solar-energy-energy-with-a-future-272.html)

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Solar electricity: Stand-alone photovoltaic systems

Solar electricity: Stand-alone photovoltaic systems

Wherever a power grid is not or not at reasonable costs available, a stand-alone photovoltaic system can be used to generate the needed electric energy. Examples for such an application are alpine huts or cabins in remote areas, solar-powered water pumps, emergency telephones, but also systems for boats or recreational vehicles (camper vans).

Since the solar modules only produce electric energy during daytime, it is necessary to store energy for the night or for cloudy days. Such storage systems mostly use rechargeable lead batteries, due to their ability to accept with high efficiency both low and high input voltages. A battery regulator prevents overcharging, a load shedding circuit prevents deep discharges. Because of the high differences in energy harvest between winter and summer it is recommended to use hybrid systems for year-round applications. Such can use diesel or biogas generators as well as wind turbines; in most cases they will include a storage battery also.

Picture source: SMART Powersystems.
(Picture: Stand-alone photovoltaic system for autonomous electricity supply of a summerhouse or weekend home including a 220Wp PV generator and maintenance free accumulators (100Ah/24V) as well as a 50A charge regulator. The built in inverter supplies 1.200 W continuous power and 3.300W temporary peak power.)

The photovoltaic system will provide a battery output voltage of (in most cases) 12 or 24 volts DC. To supply devices which are only available for AC voltages a power inverter can be used.
One of the most important tasks in planning such a stand-alone PV system is to match the prospective energy consumption with the local average solar irradiation, the resulting energy production and the required storage capacity. As a example: A weekend home near Montelimar (France), occupied only during summer, is to supply with electric energy by a PV system. The energy consuming devices are a few (energy-saving or low-voltage halogen) lamps, a small TV, a water pump and a energy-saving refrigerator. Multiplied with the respective power-on time the daily energy demand sums up to about 680 kWh. At this location the daily energy production per 1 kWp module capacity reaches in summer leastwise 4 kWh; so a 0.18-kWp-plant would be fully sufficient, supplemented by a rechargeable battery storage with a capacity of about 280 Ah (at 12 V DC), enough to feed on for about 2.5 days.

Picture source: SMA Technologie AG
(Sunlight instead of Oil: stand alone photovoltaic system in the United Arab Emirates. Rural electrification of emerging nations and developing countries is an economically and technical proven application for stand alone PV systems.)

Three steps to size a stand-alone photovoltaic system

Some preliminaries: Generally one should utilize only power-saving devices to be fed by a stand-alone PV system. Additionally, by utilizing devices operating at 12 or 24 V DC (since PV systems provide originally DC voltage) some conversion losses can be avoided.
Step 1: Estimating the daily energy consumption:


Picture source: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DB)
For every device multiply the power input (measured in Watt) with the hours of power-on time. Sum up the results and add some buffer (depending on the uncertainty of your forecast).Since the consumption will differ with the season, you should calculate this independently for summer and winter season (at least). 

The PV system of the "Rabenkopf" cabin in the Bavarian Alps nearly replaces a diesel generator for electricity production Picture Source: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DB)

Step 2: Determine the size (energy output) of the PV system:
The averaged daily energy yield by the PV system should be sufficient to cover the daily consumption (calculated per season, since between summer and winter the »harvest« differs widely).
To forecast the daily energy yield we need data about the daily irradiance at the location of the PV modules. Such data is available from different sources at the web (e.g. http://www.nrel.gov/ for the USA or http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/ for Europe and Africa). To get the energy yield provided by the PV system the radiation (measured in kWh/m2/day) has to be multiplied with the module capacity (nominal output, given in Kilowatt Peak, kWp) and the result corrected by factors including the deviation of the optimal orientation and inclination of the modules. (Some of the sources named above offer such pre-calculated and corrected data, too.) 

Now we have to discount the transmission losses caused by the electrical resistance in the cables and during the charging/discharging process of the rechargeable battery storage. Such losses can typically sum up to about 24%.

For instance: A PV system near Cambridge (UK), providing 1 kWp nominal output, would generate 3.6 kWh of electrical power per day on average in July. So it could meet a consumption of about 3.6 * 0.76 = 2.7 kWh/day. However, to plan our PV system, we will use the month with the least irradiation of the season as base – in a summer at Cambridge this would be the September (2.7*0.76 = 2.05 kWh/day), in the winter the December (0.7*0.76 = 0.5 kWh/day).

So, if we need only about 500 Wh per day, this system would suffice even for the winter season – but it could produce four times our needs in summer and would be totally oversized for more than half of the year. If we use the facility only in summer, a system with 0.5/2.05 = 0.24 kWp (consumption divided by production per kWp installed nominal output) would be fully sufficient. It would therefore be economically advisable to install an hybrid system including a PV system of about 0.25 to 0.3 kWp and an additional generator to bridge the winter season.

Step 3: Dimensioning the storage capacity
Since the PV system generates electricity when the sun is shining, which is in many cases not the time we need the energy, we use rechargeable batteries to store electrical energy. The capacity of such batteries is measured in ampere-hours (Ah). If we divide the assumed consumption per day (in Wh) by the output voltage (in V DC) of the storage system (mostly 12 V DC or 24 V DC, depending on the interconnection of the batteries), we get the capacity we need to bridge one day, e.g. with a daily consumption rate of 0.5 kWh: 500Wh/12V = 41.7 Ah.To avoid damages by deep discharge, we should double this value to 84 Ah per day. If the facility is used only in summer, we calculate 2.5 days at max to bridge, resulting in a total capacity of about 210 Ah; in winter we have to calculate with up to 5 days to bridge, so the total capacity would be 420 Ah.

(Source: http://www.solarserver.com/knowledge/basic-knowledge/stand-alone-photovoltaic-systems.html)

Sunday 1 May 2011

Lubi- The World's Most Efficient Solar Device

The Lubi's payback can range from zero to several years depending on 
geographical location, climate conditions, heating application, 
government tax advantages, utility incentives and other factors.

Enerconcept Technologies has introduced the Lubi, the world's most efficient solar air heater, that features significant energy savings and quick paybacks for commercial, institutional and industrial facilities.
The Lubi is a wall-mounted solar collector that simulates an aesthetic architectural glass-like facade, but provides up to 80.7-percent peak heating efficiencies, which is the highest efficiency ever recorded for any solar air technology, according to Canadian Standards Association (CSA-International) certification tests.
The Lubi's capabilities of producing temperature increases of up to 81 degrees F (45 degrees C) above ambient outdoor temperatures. This allows it to fulfill applications ranging from pre-heating outdoor air to supplemental heating of facilities, depending upon application, geography and weather conditions.
Maximum outputs are 254-BTU/h/ft2 (800-watts/m2)
The Lubi is 18-percent more efficient than its nearest solar air heating competitor thanks to its patent-pending, translucent perforated panel technology. Each 3 x 1-foot (900 x 320-mm) polycarbonate panel has 906 perforations.
Unlike wall-mounted metal solar collectors that suffer significant thermal losses in on their exterior panel surfaces, the Lubi's panels greatly reduce thermal loss because of their transparency and the cooling effect of outdoor ambient air being drawn through the perforations by the building's HVAC air handling system.
When mounted on brick or concrete walls, the Lubi's translucency allows sunlight to penetrate the panels and become trapped or absorbed into the building wall that continues to radiate as a thermal mass long after sundown.
Also, the Lubi is 18 and 58-percent more efficient than other solar collectors when mounted to a black or white wall, respectively. Other wall-mounted solar air collectors heat air via conduction from their metal facade surfaces, which require darker colors that may not always suit architectural aesthetics.
In southern climates where dehumidification is used to precondition high latent heat loads of outdoor air, the Lubi can also be used for desiccant regeneration when positioned upstream from costly-to-operate gas-fired heaters used for enthalpy wheel drying.
The Lubi's payback can range from zero to several years depending on geographical location, climate conditions, heating application, government tax advantages, utility incentives and other factors. In masonry new construction, the Lubi can substitute for expensive brick wall construction and offer as much as a zero payback.
Other Lubi features are:
+ The Lubi has also been rated as the world's most efficient solar equipment by the National Solar Test Facility (NSTF), a Mississauga, Ont.-based third-party laboratory that tests and rates solar technologies under controlled temperature/sunlight/wind and is sanctioned by the Solar Rating and Certification Corp., (SRCC), Cocoa, Fla.
+ The Lubi offers a 10-year warranty, but expected lifecycles are 20 years or more before panel replacement is needed.
+ Even with cloudy conditions, the Lubi can provide useful energy and fuel savings for preheating outdoor air, as required by ASHRAE Standard 62.
+ Panel perforations are dimpled and contoured to prevent rainwater infiltration. A UV-resistant coating prevents fading and discoloration.
+ The Lubi is more efficient than solar domestic water heating and photovoltaic technologies--displacing more fuel per square foot.
+ The Lubi's ability to draw air through its perforations make it insensitive to wind speeds of 7-mph (3-m/s) and less.
+ Custom manufacturing and a modular concept allows integration to any architectural style and window circumvention. The Lubi is installed anywhere from 2 to 10-inches (5 to 25-centimeters) from the wall, depending on the airflow pattern, number of air intakes, wall surface and wall geometry.
+ In summer, when heating equipment is idle, the Lubi doesn't overheat because heat escapes through the collector and doesn't pose an additional cooling load to the building.
+ The Lubi 's aluminum substructure was designed, with the help of architects and contractors, to be easily assembled and mounted quickly to any wall.

(Source: http://www.solardaily.com/reports/Lubi_is_World_Most_Efficient_Solar_Device_999.html)

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