Solar // Current

Major Advance In Organic Solar Cells

Professor Guillermo Bazan and a team of postgraduate researchers at UC Santa... more

Simon_Ruymaekers
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1 day ago
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0 comments

Arizona heat keeps the light on!!

The U.S. Department of Energy announced that Arizona will receive funding to... more

bryanblack
added this
4 days ago
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0 comments

Documentary Filmmaker Kevin Epps to speak at iConference!

Check out the links, please attend or join us online for this event.

Kevin_Epps
added this
6 days ago
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0 comments

Who will win the 4M$ Space Elevator Challenge 2010?

LaserMotive is the first team to take home the first level challenge for driving a... more

mashdata
added this
12 days ago
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2 comments

$555 Billion Sahara Solar Energy Belt Takes Giant Step Forward

A giant step has been made in what will be the world’s largest renewable energy... more

jmsrmy
added this
18 days ago
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22 comments

Solar PV for Ethiopia

The Solar Energy Foundation won the 2009 Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy.

JanforGore
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18 days ago
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Solar calculator add on for the web released

SolarInsure, a green energy insurance brokerage in Southern California, has created a... more

JanforGore
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18 days ago
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0 comments

America's (newest) largest solar plant set to go live in Florida

If all goes well, this 25-megawatt solar plant in Florida won't be America's largest... more

northrunnnercano6
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26 days ago
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Simple Solar - Part 5: Solar Backpack

My solar backpack with three different solar light systems that I use for riding my... more

gmoke
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28 days ago
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Largest solar power plant in U.S. rises in Florida

Greg Bove steps into his pickup truck and drives down a sandy path to where the future of Florida's renewable energy plans begin: Acres of open land filled with solar panels that will soon power thousands of homes and business.

For nearly a year, construction workers and engineers in this sleepy Florida town of citrus trees and cattle farms have been building the nation's largest solar panel energy plant. Testing will soon be complete, and the facility will begin directly converting sunlight into energy, giving Florida a momentary spot in the solar energy limelight.

The Desoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center will power a small fraction of Florida Power & Light's 4-million plus customer base; nevertheless, at 25 megawatts, it will generate nearly twice as much energy as the second-largest photovoltaic facility in the U.S.

The White House said President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the facility Tuesday, when it officially goes online and begins producing power for the electric grid.

As demand grows and more states create mandates requiring a certain percentage of their energy come from renewable sources, the size of the plants is increasing. The southwest Florida facility will soon be eclipsed by larger projects announced in Nevada and California.

"We took a chance at it and it worked out," said Bove, construction manager at the project, set on about 180 acres of land 80 miles southeast of Tampa. "There's a lot of backyard projects, there's a lot of rooftop projects, post offices and stores. Really this is one of the first times where we've taken a technology and upsized it."

Despite its nickname, the Sunshine State hasn't been at the forefront of solar power. Less than 4 percent of Florida's energy has come from renewable sources in recent years. And unlike California and many other states, Florida lawmakers haven't agreed to setting clean energy quotas for electric companies to reach in the years ahead.

California, New Jersey and Colorado have led the country in installing photovoltaic systems; now Florida is set to jump closer to the top with the nation's largest plant yet.

The Desoto facility and two other solar projects Florida Power & Light is spearheading will generate 110 megawatts of power, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than 3.5 million tons. Combined, that's the equivalent of taking 25,000 cars off the road each year, according to figures cited by the company.

The investment isn't cheap: The Desoto project cost $150 million to build and the power it supplies to some 3,000 homes and businesses will represent just a sliver of the 4 million-plus accounts served by the state's largest electric utility.

But there are some economic benefits: It created 400 jobs for draftsmen, carpenters and others whose work dried up as the southwest Florida housing boom came to a closure and the recession set in. Once running, it will require few full-time employees.

Mike Taylor, director of research and education at the nonprofit Solar Electric Power Association in Washington, said the project puts Florida "on the map."

"It's currently the largest," Taylor said of the Desoto photovoltaic plant. "But it certainly won't be the last."Greg Bove steps into his pickup truck and drives down a sandy path to where the future... more

JanforGore
added this
29 days ago
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3 comments

Solar Towers

The largest residential solar system in NYC is located just a few blocks away from... more

NNEC
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29 days ago
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0 comments

Green with Envy!!!

The Thermeleon won first place in MIT’s Making and Designing Materials Engineering... more

bryanblack
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29 days ago
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0 comments

Two Cardboard Boxes and Some Paint = a $6 Solar Cooker to Save the World

The Kyoto Box, a $6 solar cooker made from cardboard, has won the Financial... more

franksalot
added this
1 month ago
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26 comments

Team Germany winner of U.S. 2009 Solar Decathlon

University of Illinois Takes 2nd Place; Team California Takes 3rd Place Team... more

JanforGore
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1 month ago
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4 comments

Super Soaker Inventor Aims to Cut Solar Costs in Half

Solar energy technology is enjoying its day in the sun with the advent of innovations... more

ScottP
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1 month ago
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1 comment

Team Puerto Rico Builds the Caribbean Solar Home of the Future.

The Solar Decathlon is bolder, brighter, and more efficient than ever! 20 university... more

BrandonBloch
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1 month ago
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1 comment

Now Hiring: Green-Collar Workers-www.USAgreenjobsnow.org

Now Hiring: Green-Collar Workers The federal government is poised to pump billions... more

usagreenjobsnow
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1 month ago
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0 comments

Team Germany's Solar House Earns Energy Cash Back!

The 2009 Solar Decathlon is bolder, brighter, and more efficient than ever! 20... more

BrandonBloch
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1 month ago
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4 comments

Driving on Glass? Inventor Hopes to Lay Down Solar Roads

A truck tire supporting a 36,300-kilogram load repeatedly traverses an 18-meter... more

franksalot
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1 month ago
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85 comments

Atherton Residence Sustainably Connects With Nature

It’s always a pleasure to see a stunning home with sustainable features, but isn’t pretentious about it. This beautiful residence in Atherton in the Bay Area is such a house – gorgeous, with an obvious connection to the outdoors and sustainable features that could go undetected by the casual observer’s eye. Featuring many green design elements, this home designed by SF-based Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects, includes solar power, environmentally friendly materials and passive heating and cooling.
(Meinhold, B., 2009, October 2, par.1)

The original 1950s Bay Area home on the lot was torn down due to structural problems. In its place, this structure was erected around the site’s existing pond. To take advantage of the scenic views of water, the home was built as four buildings, the main house, study, pool house and garage, that all come right up against the water’s edge. Large sliding glass doors from the buildings open up towards the pond, providing an immediate connection with nature as well as a good dose of natural ventilation.
(Meinhold, B., 2009, October 2, par.2)

Beyond the stunning exteriors and clean and simple interior, the home is greener than it appears. On the roof, solar photovoltaic panels and a solar hot water system give the home some green cred. An effective combination of stone floors and a radiant floor heating system provide heating during those cooler months in the Bay Area. Additionally, the home utilizes high fly-ash concrete, formaldehyde-free casework and denim insulation. And despite the warm temperatures during the summer on the South part of the peninsula, the home has no air conditioning and relies on natural ventilation from operable windows and doors, shading from the large roof overhangs and the versatile stone floors to help keep things cool.
(Meinhold, B., 2009, October 2, par.3)

Even though the home is built just outside of San Francisco, it design helps it feel as though it were in a secluded location — providing a relaxing getaway for both the owners and their guests. With eco features and an interior that opens up and blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor, this beautiful home breezily achieves a sustainable elegance that is simply stated and integrated with sophistication.
(Meinhold, B., 2009, October 2, par.4)

[many photos at the link....]It’s always a pleasure to see a stunning home with sustainable features, but isn’t... more

jmsrmy
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1 month ago
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tagged w/ Solar

Major Advance In Organic Solar Cells

Arizona heat keeps the light on!!

Documentary Filmmaker Kevin Epps to speak at iConference!

Who will win the 4M$ Space Elevator Challenge 2010?

$555 Billion Sahara Solar Energy Belt Takes Giant Step Forward

Solar PV for Ethiopia

Solar calculator add on for the web released

America's (newest) largest solar plant set to go live in Florida

Simple Solar - Part 5: Solar Backpack

Largest solar power plant in U.S. rises in Florida

Solar Towers

Green with Envy!!!

Two Cardboard Boxes and Some Paint = a $6 Solar Cooker to Save the World

Team Germany winner of U.S. 2009 Solar Decathlon

Super Soaker Inventor Aims to Cut Solar Costs in Half

Team Puerto Rico Builds the Caribbean Solar Home of the Future.

Now Hiring: Green-Collar Workers-www.USAgreenjobsnow.org

Team Germany's Solar House Earns Energy Cash Back!

Driving on Glass? Inventor Hopes to Lay Down Solar Roads

Atherton Residence Sustainably Connects With Nature

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