Increasing instability in the Middle East, combined with the Obama Administration’s efforts to create incentives for renewable energy development is changing all that. Since President Obama took office in 2008, solar market growth has exploded in the United States. In a record-crushing surge, solar energy usage grew from 160MW in 2006 to more than 360MW in 2011, with a 66 percent growth rate between 2010 and 2011. Rates are on track to exceed even that number in 2012. These numbers make solar energy one of the highest-growth sectors in the U.S. economy.

The U.S. is, geographically, one of the best-suited countries in the world for solar energy collection and distribution. Great tracts of its desert southwest and the sunny regions of California and Florida are ideally suited for gathering sunlight, converting it to power and connecting it to the grid. More and more solar collection “farms” are being built in these regions.

At the same time, homeowners have been given tax incentives for installing rooftop panels and backyard systems that substantially lower the cost of the initial investment. Even in cloud-covered areas of the U.S. northeast, these systems work intermittently to cover electricity needs in everything from hot water heaters to lighting. As a result, the cloudy state of New Jersey has become one of the national leaders in numbers of households using solar energy, second only to California.

California is most certainly the hottest area for solar energy. The cities of San Diego and Los Angeles lead the way, with San Diego reaping 36.7 MW of photovoltaic solar power annually versus Los Angeles’ 36.2.

Each kilowatt-hour saved puts money in a homeowner’s pocket that can be spent on other goods and services, further stimulating the economy. Power that is collected over and above a home’s usage can be sold back to power companies and can reduce the overall cost of electricity to the communities they serve.

Logically, growth in demand has led to expansion of supply. The companies that manufacture photovoltaic tiles and panels are expanding right along with consumption, adding jobs that fuel local economies and increasing the tax bases for public services. As money flows through the industry, more innovations in technology are being invented, and more engineers are hired and rewarded for their work. Like the computer chip, solar energy technology is becoming smaller, more efficient, more powerful and less expensive.

This guest post was written by Frank Warburton. Frank has been part of the domestic solar panels industry for many years and believes in the importance of sustainability. He currently works for Spectrum Energy Systems in the UK.

An average solar panel system can generate 2448 kW per year, and provides a safe, clean alternative to fossil fuels. With the solar power industry expected to achieve a value of $3 billion by 2014, and government feed in tariffs subsidizing investment and resale of power, using panels to run white goods has become an increasingly practical option.

When working out how to use this energy, it is necessary to follow some basic steps:

1 – Having the Right Panels

Photovoltaic devices consist of an array of solar cells installed onto a roof. While each individual cell will not generate much power, by joining them together into a module or an array, it is possible to generate between 10 to 300 kW. The amount of energy produced is relative to the amount of sunlight that the cells receive. Once received, this energy can be stored and used during down periods.

2 – Mounting System

You will need a mounting system to convert solar energy into electricity for white goods. The best way of transferring energy is to convert it into a direct current voltage, which can be connected up to white goods. Certain amounts of energy can be stored and transferred for use within systems using grid and solar power. The resulting system, or ‘load,’ enables some flexibility over usage.

3 – Contributing Power

A solar system cannot support constant running of white goods like fridges, washing machines and ovens at present. The exceptions are experimental fridges and freezers, which are designed to conserve energy. The best solution at the moment for general use involves combining grid and photovoltaic energy into a grid tiered system. Energy generated by solar power can be stored and used to reduce a dependence on the grid. At the same time, any excess energy can be sold back at a profit.

The ultimate result is that you can reduce a dependence on electricity bills, with white goods typically accounting for about 18% of annual home costs. The amount by which solar power can be used with white goods will depend on items’ wattage, and their energy efficiency.

4 – Other Features

If using photovoltaic energy on a regular basis, you will need to invest in an inverter to convert direct current into alternating current for different uses within the home. Also recommended are breaker panels, and an electric meter to monitor different levels of electricity.

5 – Safety

While solar power is safe and clean, you will need to ensure that a mounting system for converting energy into usable electricity is equipped with devices like a charge controller, a disconnect and a battery bank. These devices can help prevent overloading a system, as well as making sure that energy isn’t lost.

This guest post was written by Amy Finton.

Also known as microgeneration, renewable sources of energy include such things as solar panels, heat pumps, biomass boilers and wind turbines. In general terms, each of these and the other renewable options will allow the homeowner to generate some of their own energy and even sell the remainder back to the grid. As a potential buyer – what is not to like?

Heat pumps

There are two types of heat pump available for the domestic home. The ground source heat pump which gathers heat from a series of tubes buried in the garden and the air source heat pump which sucks in air from outside and extracts heat from it before sending it indoors. Both of these can be a great addition to most homes.

If your home has a gas boiler, a heat pump is unlikely to add much value (gas is still a cheaper way to heat your home), but for those people who heat their home using electricity or oil, a heat pump is going to help you save significant amounts. For any potential buyer this is going to be a plus and would save them having to install the system themselves.

Solar Panels

There has been some concern recently that homes with solar panels may be harder to sell, especially if they are tied into a contract with an energy supplier. While this may put off some buyers, the actual savings they could make should outweigh any concerns they may have.

Solar panels which have been paid for and installed by the owner entitle the new owner to a feed-in-tariff which could be as much as 43p/KwH. For those who have a free system, the tariff is taken by the installer, but the savings on electricity are for the home owner. This can be hundreds of pounds a year at no additional cost.

Wind Turbines

These sources of energy are more unusual than other renewables, but they can be an attractive proposition for buyers. When carefully positioned they can be unobtrusive and they are also very quiet.

Getting planning permission for wind turbines can be tricky (especially in urban areas) so if you already have one of these installed, your buyer knows that they will not have to do the leg-work with the council to get the permission.

Finally the savings and the feed-in-tariff associated with a wind turbine are bound to improve the saleability of your home and may add a few thousand to the asking price.

The Green Deal

It is true that installing some renewable energy sources isn’t cheap, but it is worth weighing up the viability of installing before you put your home up for sale. The government is introducing the Green Deal towards the end of this year which will allow homeowners to borrow the money needed to install this type of technology. This loan will pass from the current owner to the new owner if a house is sold.

It is unlikely that this will put off buyers, because the government has said that the savings made will outweigh the costs of the loan. So your new buyer will have cheaper bills and an energy efficient home.

So, even if you don’t think you can afford to make these types of improvements to your home, there really is no reason not to look into the possibilities. Not only will you set your home apart and add value, you will also be improving the environment.

About the author:

Justin Elliot is the CEO of Find Energy Savings, a company dedicated to help find you the best deals on eco-friendly energy resources.

However, according to The Nikkei newspaper, it will be years before the vehicle hits the market. At the moment Toyota is developing an electric car that gets only some of its power from solar panels attached to the vehicle, and can also be recharged at home. Later they plan to release a model operating solely on car solar power.

The car solar power model is part of Toyota’s efforts to expand during a global economic crisis. It appears their first semi-solar powered car idea was spurred on by Greg Johanson, owner of Solar Electric Vehicles, who added a solar roof to his hybrid Toyota Prius just over a year ago.

Here is a video on the solar powered Prius:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJX-sGn5RDo

This December Toyota shocked Japan after announcing its first operating loss in seven decades. This was caused by the global slump, especially in the American market, and the strengthening Yen.

Despite this, with Toyota being one of the leaders in green technology, its executives stressed that they have no intention on cutting back on environmental research and development.

The leading Japanese automaker has already started powering some of its Tsutsumi plant in central Japan on solar electricity. The roof solar panels add up in size to about 3 football fields and generate enough energy to power 500 households, according to Toyota. This reduces their carbon footprint by 740 tons per year, which is equivalent to burning 1,500 barrels of crude oil.

With its partner in developing and producing hybrid batteries, Panasonic, taking over Japanese rival Sanyo – a leader in solar energy – early next year, Toyota is bound to gain expertise in solar energy.  This will speed up development on its car solar power project, and who knows – perhaps we may see the first commercial solar powered car sooner than expected.

Originally posted 2009-01-07 13:49:15.

How solar power LED lights came about:

Ever since solar power became portable, people have thought of as many solar power uses as possible. What made solar power so attractive for outdoor lighting was its portability – replacing the need for long, unsightly extension leads in the garden. Initially individuals tried using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, but the small solar panels could not produce enough wattage for the lights to burn bright enough.

As a result the solar light market was limited to places near the equator with large amounts of sunlight. And even then the solar panels and batteries had to be large enough to cater for the period of longest nights, shortest days and cloudiest conditions.

Then as LED lights started hitting the market, manufacturers realized they would be ideal for solar lighting since they burned brightly, but used minimal power. And thanks to technological improvements in home solar power LED lights, the solar lighting market is no longer confined to equatorial areas with the most amount of direct sunlight and highest temperatures.

So what were the technological improvements, and how did they benefit the solar market?

They were:

1. Optimized system efficiency
LED lights are now capable of optimizing current flows, where no power is wasted, so the overall system efficiency is almost 100 percent.

2. LED’s can be fine tuned
Since solar LED lights can be programmed, users are now able to select not only where the light is delivered but also how brightly and when it is delivered. This has led to a reduction in solar panel and battery size by as much as 50 percent of the original outdoor lighting system.

3. Effective illumination
LED lights are able to provide directional beams of light, where about 90 percent can be used for ambient lighting and a further 70 percent for task lighting.  Furthermore, a 45 lumen LED light can create the same amount of light as a 75 lumen CFL bulb, resulting in lower electricity usage and costs for running a home power solar lighting system.

4. Improved performance, efficiency and lifespan in cold temperatures
Most outdoor lamps tend to lose performance and lifetime in colder temperatures – where they seem rather dim or burn out very quickly in sub-zero climates. But LED’s are different – they don’t produce light from a filament, but rather a micro-chip. And since micro-chips run better at lower temperatures, solar LED lights can last 5 to 10 times longer than CFL bulbs.

With all these technological breakthroughs anyone is now able to enjoy home power solar LED lighting at home, no matter where they live. And if you know how to make your own solar panel system, all you have to do is add some inexpensive LED lights to enjoy free outdoor lighting. It couldn’t be simpler!

Originally posted 2008-12-20 11:42:14.

However Scotland isn’t doing this all by themselves a recent report called “Renewables Investments and Jobs” has illustrated that over £2.46 billion has been invested in the UK renewable industry so far and it could boost the job market as well by nearly 12,000 jobs up and down the country.

Yet even though Scotland seems to be getting all the headlines there’s another part of the country quietly working away and it’s actually received a whopping £470 million for its renewable projects; wind turbines, hydroelectricity and solar panels to name a few. Yes the renewable industry is certainly booming in Yorkshire.

In comparison to everywhere else in the UK, Yorkshire has seen has seen a fantastic amount of investment in their renewable energy sector. Especially when you compare it to the £155 million that Northern Ireland received and the £116 million that was invested in East Midlands. Yorkshire received nearly double those figures added together!

The Energy Secretary for the UK Chris Huhne, said: “Renewable energy is not just helping us increase our energy security and reduce our emissions. It is supporting jobs and growth across the country, and giving traditional industrial heartlands the opportunity to thrive again.”

Renewable energy has been like a shining knight in the war against climate change with many people happy to get involved and do their part. The benefit of renewables is that they can take advantage of natural energy sources using equipment like solar panels, heat pumps and wind turbines. The equipment can then take; the heat from the sun or wind in the air and convert it to electricity and heat. Truly amazing!

The reason for Northern regions getting so much investment seems to be mainly down to their more rugged terrain and often changing weather conditions which suit the naturally powered renewable energy gathering devices. However it’s not just the landscape and weather that brings the investors, it is the open arms with which they’re met by the officials in charge.

The massive amount of investment in some northern areas from renewable energy suppliers and overseas has seen a real change in their fortunes with booming micro-economies and revitalized towns it’s no wonder officials are doing all they can to make the investors feel welcome.

This guest post was written by Ross Wilson.

People are already up in arms about wind turbines ruining scenic landscapes, and environmentalists are worried about birds getting caught up in the blades. But what if there was a solution?  An idea so revolutionary that it is hard to imagine…

It appears there is. Time magazine even named it one of the best inventions of 2008. It’s called the “Flying Electric Generator”.

So what is it?

The FEG is a type of “rotorcraft” that hovers above the ground and generates power from strong high altitude winds.  But what’s amazing about it is that it is lifted by the wind. To keep it from flying off, it is tethered to the ground, from which the electric current is sent back down to earth.

As the FEG lifts higher, it reaches stronger winds, which enable it to produce more power.   In fact, it has been said that these high altitude winds or jet streams are so strong that using just 1% of them could power the entire planet.

And when will it become operational?

So far the only demonstration of an operating FEG was done in Australia, where they used electricity to get it off the ground.  The experiment was very successful, showing that even in light winds close to the ground, the FEG hovered there perfectly.  Next they plan to test a larger rotorcraft at 240kW tethered at up to 15,000ft. And then they will scale up even further to FEG’s with four rotors, capable of producing ten to forty megawatts of power – which is far more than the current highest wind turbine capacity of five megawatts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gExAQq2VzgQ

People have had there doubts about how lightning or turbulence at high altitudes could affect the FEG.  For lightning, a warning system is in place where the FEG is then simply brought down to earth.  The turbulence is not such a problem since the rotorcraft acts very much like a kite, and will simply settle back to how it was after a big gust of wind. And a GPS and gyroscope combination will be used to control its pitch and roll.

So, how much power production is possible?

According to the San Diego based company, Sky WindPower Corporation, an array of 600 FEG’s rated at 20MW, and operating over a ground space of 200 square miles could produce over three times as many megawatt hours per year as the 28,572,902MWh produced by the Palos Verde Arizona nuclear plant in 2003.

And just 43 of these FEG arrays operating at 85% capacity could produce up to 3,883,185,000MWh of power – that’s the total power consumption of the U.S. in 2003.

And how much will this power cost us?

According to a careful study made by Sky WindPower Corp, in the long range the cost of an FEG of ten megawatt capacity would be less than 2 cents per kilowatt hour (including land use costs).  This is less than the energy costs of fossil fuels. But obviously site selection and proximity to existing power lines are very important factors.

What’s next?

Since the FEG’s are still in the testing phase, we are not quite sure how long it will take before we see any hovering in the distance. But one thing is for sure is that if all goes to plan, we may see airborne wind generators power the planet.

Originally posted 2008-11-23 22:47:13.

Advantages

You have a completely free energy source. The cost to operate you charger will be zero. This also means that it does not affect the environment in a bad way. The cost is not a prohibitive factor. Many units sell for as low as ten dollars. There is very little to go wrong or break down with this solar appliance. You should get years of service.

No one wants to be without electric power for days on end. You might consider a backup plan, in case that occurs. That plan can include a way to recharge your batteries without house electricity. Then you can have use of your cell phone. You can also see at night with your flash light and listen to the radio.

Disadvantages

Some of the inexpensive models will not recharge very quickly. If you want faster, you have to pay for it. A one watt charger is considerably cheaper than a four watt. Even the more powerful units may not be as rapid as you like. Moreover, less sunny climates may not be a good place for this type of unit.

A big variety

There are a lot of uses for solar household chargers. Everything from flashlights to cameras will fit into the category.

There are also models made for your car, truck, or recreational vehicle. Some of these are simple to use. You plug them into a cigarette lighter socket. After that, you simply set them on the dash. However, most of these units are not meant to jump start your vehicle. Plus, you will not get a rapid recharge, in most cases. The higher wattage units will give you the better performance.

Make sure the unit has a blocking diode. This will prevent damage by not allowing electricity to flow back into the charger. Not all of the models will automatically shut off when fully charged. If this is the case, caution needs to be exercised. Overcharged batteries may present a hazard.

Most of the chargers mentioned here are portable. However larger ones for purposes like powering houses will be stationary. Upfront cost is usually a huge consideration for a solar powered house. Most people may not consider it within their budget.

In closing

Solar powered battery chargers are a good choice for emergency situations. They will work well in areas that get a lot of sunshine. It costs nothing to run them. They are very kind to the environment. The portable models do not cost a lot of money. It will probably take longer for them to do their job. However, they could be a very valid option.

For out more about solar powered battery chargers check out these solar mobile phone chargers.

Originally posted 2010-03-09 10:34:04.

First Generation Solar Experiencing Growth

Although there has been no major changes to the simple crystalline solar cell since its inception in the 1950′s, significant improvements are now being made, with competition getting fierce.

Now regarded as “first generation” PV, mono- and poly-crystalline cells have seen significant growth in volumes. However, their high demand for silicon has led to shortages and increasing costs for manufacturers. So volumes have started to drop off. If silicon prices were to drop, these solar modules may be able to compete with the second generation solar thin film modules.

Second Generation PV Is The Way Forward

“Second generation” PV, or solar thin film technology, seems to be the way forward for a price competitive market. By requiring far less material, faster cheaper manufacturing processes, and shorter supply chains, thin film solar is a wide open industry. So to gain competitive edge, the major producers are not so worried about improved manufacturing efficiency, but rather about securing intellectual property and gaining access to capital. This is good news for consumers, since even lower prices from economies of scale are still to come.

Types Of Solar Thin Film Technology:

To date there are three main approaches that thin film manufacturers are taking, based on what material they use for the PV cell’s semi-conductor.

1 – Amorphous Silicon

The first material to be used was amorphous silicon pioneered by United Solar Ovonic, also known as Uni-Solar. This approach, now used by various companies worldwide and making up over 60% of the PV market, uses a small amount of amorphous silicon alloy.

This type of solar thin film has been successfully sold over the years as an undetectable roof material for both commercial and residential buildings. In the United States alone, sales in 2008 amounted to 73 Megawatts (MW) or $1.8 billion in sales. And with current production capacity at 118 MW, the US has planned growth to 1 GW (1000 MW) by 2012.

2 – Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)

The second type of semi-conductor material used is cadmium telluride (CdTe).
The advantage of CdTe modules is that they are quicker to produce, however, they are way less efficient at just over 10%.

The clear leader in using CdTe is First Solar with a production capacity of over 1 GW, and contracted sales of over 3.8 GW or $6.3 billion through to 2013. And with a cost per watt of only $1.29, First Solar have gross margins twice that of their competitors. Good news for consumers is that First Solar expects the cost per watt for CdTe modules to be under $0.70 within 3 years time.

3 – Copper Indium Gallium Di-Selenide

The third type of semi-conductor material used is Copper Indium Gallium Di-Selenide (CIGS) – Whoo! What a mouthful! CIGS modules have boasted efficiencies nearing 20%, which is much higher than CdTe panels and almost that of crystalline silicon (first generation) modules.

This market is dominated by private companies, such as Nanosolar in California, Heliovolt in Texas, Global Solar in Arizona and TerraSolar in New York. But the latest competitor to hit the market is Honda – a leader in crystalline silicon cells, who plans to use their existing production process to manufacture CIGS solar thin film modules, and reap the benefits of this second generation technology.

The Benefit of Solar Thin Film Modules

The advantage of all of the solar thin film technologies is that very little of the semi-conductor material is needed – over 99% less silicon is used, compared to crystalline modules. Furthermore, being extremely thin, the modules can be produced very quickly using high-speed roll-to-roll printing.

The drawback of solar thin film is its lower efficiency. Yet, new manufacturers continue to enter the market almost monthly.

Video: Konarko’s New 1 Gigawatt Facility In Massachusetts

The Third Generation PV?

The future of solar PV seems to be going beyond solar thin film , to make the modules even thinner. The market is approaching the third generation PV technologies.

New approaches such as organic cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, nano-modified materials, quantum dots, and nano-antennas, offer higher efficiencies and even lower costs than second generation PV. However, it is not clear which of these approaches is leading the way, with only private companies and government funding the research and development.

The US to dominate the solar market

Currently there is a high concentration of second and third generation PV companies in the US. And with our new President Obama and his renewable energy policies, economists believe many international companies will be flocking back to the US.

Although better economies of scale have traditionally been achieved in Asia, it appears that as fast as US companies move to Asia, overseas manufactures are building facilities in the US.

For example, Germany’s SolarWorld has opened “the US’s largest solar cell factory” in Hillsboro, OR. And even Japan’s Sanyo Electric is building a facility in Salem, OR.

With the rush of new developments taking place in advanced solar technologies in the US, it is likely that the US could become the global leader in solar market. But it is still too early to tell. But what we do know is that the sky’s the limit for solar thin film technology.

Originally posted 2009-01-23 12:55:11.

With the help of computer simulations and various advanced chip-manufacturing methods, a team of physicists and engineers at MIT have discovered new ways of getting greater efficiency from photovoltaic solar cells.

In the experiment, the team applied an anti-reflective coating to the front, and a innovative series of multi-layered reflective coatings and a defraction grating – a closely spaced array of lines – to the back of ultra-thin silicon films to increase the cells’ power by up to 50%.

With the help of the carefully designed layers on the back of each cell, light is bounced around longer inside the thin silicon film, allowing it more time to transfer its energy into an electric current.  Without those coatings the light would be reflected straight out of the cell.

One of the team members, Peter Bermel, a post-doctoral researcher in MIT’s physics department explained that it is critical that any light entering the layer should travel through a long path in the silicon.  But what they have not figured out yet is how long that path has to be to ensure maximum absorption of electrons to produce the electric current.

The test was started by running thousands of computer simulations, testing variations of the thickness of the silicon,  spacing of the lines, and the amount and thickness of reflective layers on the back. These simulations were then used to optimize efficiency and power output.

According to Lionel Kimerling, the project manager and Thomas Lord Professor of Materials Science and Engineering: “The simulated performance was remarkably better than any other structure, promising, for 2-micrometer-thick films, a 50 percent efficiency increase in conversion of sunlight to electricity.”

Once simulations were complete, they were confirmed by actual lab-scale tests, where graduate student Lirong Zeng was given required to refine the structure and make the silicon cell.  As predicted, the experiment was a success and sparked considerable industry interest.

The work done so far was just the first step toward manufacturing an affordable, improved solar cell. Now all that is needed is some fine-tuning through more simulations and lab tests, and more work on the materials and manufacturing process.

According to Kimberling, if the solar business stays strong, we can expect this new technology to be ready within the next three years. Bermel added that, “the potential for savings is great, since the high-quality silicon crystal substrates used in conventional solar cells represent about half the cost, and the thin films in this version use only about 1 percent as much silicon.”

To evaluate its business potential, the project was selected by the MIT Deshpande Center for an “i-team” study. Here it was concluded that this thin film solar cell technology could provide considerable benefits in both manufacturing and electricity production, for uses ranging from remote off-grid to dedicated clean energy.

While no single project is likely to minimize the cost of solar cells, this type of innovation takes us one step closer to making solar power design competitive with fossil fuel and nuclear grid electricity.

Originally posted 2008-11-25 12:04:44.