tagged w/ Solar
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It’s chore day. You’ve raked the leaves, taken out the recycling, and emptied out the old junk in your garage. But wait — don’t toss it all out! You have all the ingredients for your very own homemade solar system.
If new advances in “biophotovoltaics” research are any indication, you may someday be able to create your own solar “goo” from plant matter and apply it to metal or glass.
A group of researchers has found a way to break down plant matter, isolate photosynthetic molecules, and then spread those molecules on a metal or glass substrate. So theoretically, you could take a bag full of leaves and grass, pour in a mixture of chemicals to break them down, and then finish your chores by painting the liquid on your windows to produce electricity. Not bad for a day’s work.
Researchers have been working on biophotovoltaics for many years, only to be hindered by low efficiencies, rapid degradation, and difficulties in spreading the photovoltaic “goo” onto a substrate. But nine scientists have just published research on new advances that boost performance and may allow for inexpensive substrates like recycled glass and metal to be used:
To improve photovoltaic performance we increased the light absorption cross-section without changing the footprint by departing from the traditional flat electrode geometry in favor of mesoscopic, high-surface area semiconducting electrodes (TiO2 nanocrystals and ZnO nanowires). Finally, we showed how high affinity peptide motifs10 bioengineered to promote selective adsorption to specific substrates can enhance photovoltaic performance. These materials, geometries and design resulted in simple, robust biophotovoltaic devices of unprecedented performance.
In short, the researchers have created a method to stabilize the photosynthetic molecules. And by coating a substrate with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanowires, they can now turn any sort of glass or metal material into a working solar cell with efficiencies better than ever before.
It’s a fascinating discovery. But don’t get too excited yet. Efficiencies are still extraordinarily low — only at .01%. They’d need to be about 10 times that in order to power a light or charge a cell phone. So for the foreseeable future, don’t expect to be painting your house with a bag of grass clippings.
However, as research advances and performance continues to improve, MIT physicist Andreas Mershin says it could be perfect for remote applications in developing countries. In the video below, Mershin explains the significance of the findings:
More at the linkIt’s chore day. You’ve raked the leaves, taken out the recycling, and... more
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A recent, prolonged lull in the sun's activity did not prevent the Earth from absorbing more solar energy than it let escape back into space, a NASA analysis of the Earth's recent energy budget indicates.
An imbalance like this drives global warming — since more energy is coming in than leaving — and, because it occurred during a period when the sun was emitting comparatively low levels of energy, the imbalance has implications for the cause of global warming.
The results confirm greenhouse gases produced by human activities are the most important driver of global climate change, according to the researchers.
They found that the Earth absorbed 0.58 watts of excess energy per square meter than escaped back into space during the study period from 2005 to 2010, a time when solar activity was low. By comparison, the planet receives 0.25 watts less energy per square meter during a solar minimum, than during a period of maximum activity in the sun's 11-year cycle. (Currently, the sun is in the midst of Solar Cycle 24, with activity expected to ramp up toward solar maximum in 2013.)
"The fact we still see a positive imbalance despite the prolonged solar minimum isn't a surprise given what we've learned about the climate system," lead researcher James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in a statement. "But it's worth noting, because this provides unequivocal evidence that the sun is not the dominant driver of global warming."
However, in an email to LiveScience, Hansen noted that "the sun is a small but not negligible factor," in determining the size of the imbalance. Over the past decade, the imbalance declined slightly due, in part, to the solar minimum, according to Hansen. [Gallery: Our Amazing Sun]
Solar activity refers to the activity of the sun's magnetic field. Fluctuations in solar activity, including magnetic field-powered sunspots and solar flares, have been linked to past changes in climate, including, controversially, the Little Ice Age. Some skeptics have attributed contemporary climate change to natural fluctuations in solar activity, rather than human-emitted greenhouse gases — the explanation endorsed by nearly all climate scientists, including those convened by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Incoming solar radiation is measured by satellites; the recent minimum set records for the reduction in solar radiation since satellite measurements began in the 1970s.
http://www.livescience.com/18255-solar-cycle-climate-change-warming.htmlA recent, prolonged lull in the sun's activity did not prevent the Earth from... more
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Residents of a West Bank village with no electricity have been helped out of the darkness by unlikely benefactors – a group of Israelis who installed solar panels and wind turbines to illuminate the Palestinians' makeshift homes. The villagers of Susya live in tents and caves with power lines darting right above their dwellings, connecting a nearby Jewish settlement to the power grid while bypassing them entirely. It was this lack of basic services that drew the physicists from Comet-ME, a group of pro-peace Israeli scientists and activists, to this dusty, desolate area. Now the entire village of 300 people has access to power that is reliable, free and green. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/your-details/43054-israeli-scientistsactivists-bring-green-power-to-west-bank-village-susya-south-hebron-mountains-Residents of a West Bank village with no electricity have been helped out of the... more
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I went to my local Walgreen's today and got a surprise. They had a charging station for electric cars. This was a first for me as I didn't know that we had any set up yet, but had heard of talk about them being installed. All of these are owned by a company called Chargepoint.net and they charge $3 per hour to charge your electric car. While this is a cool idea, I think that when you charge your car at home and have to pay somewhere around 25¢ per KWh the price is a bit steep.I went to my local Walgreen's today and got a surprise. They had a charging... more
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lhttp://mysunshare.com/
As I was looking for this article about the solar farm in Colorado Springs. I found that the OCS had gone to address the gov. for not speaking with Occupy Denver. Good for them!!! also here is a link for the garden.
It is a good idea. buy a panel for 550. each and get credit on you electric bill.lhttp://mysunshare.com/
As I was looking for this article about the solar farm in... more
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The International Energy Agency is notoriously conservative on projections for renewable energy. The agency has embraced the need for more clean electricity and fuels to address climate change and peak oil, but its outlook for the future is usually far more conservative than how reality plays out.
So when an official at the IEA says we could get up to one third of our global energy supply from solar photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, and solar hot water by 2060, that’s a fairly big piece of news. But even that projection may be conservative.
Speaking to Bloomberg News, the head of IEA’s renewable energy unit explained said he thought the target is feasible:
“The strength of solar is the incredible variety and flexibility of applications, from small scale to big scale,” Paolo Frankl, the agency’s head of renewable energy, said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Economic activity will shift toward the sunnier zones around the equator by 2050, making solar energy a viable power source for most of the global economy, the report said. Those regions will be home to almost 80 percent of the human race by the middle of the century, compared with about 70 percent today, and their energy needs will be higher as living standards in countries such as Brazil and India approach those of the U.S. and Europe.
The IEA is clearly responding to the fast-changing world of solar energy. It has released a new publication, Solar Energy Perspectives, that mirrors one of its flagship research products, Energy Technology Perspectives.
But in its recent World Energy Outlook, IEA barely gave solar much attention. The organization predicted fairly modest growth in the solar PV and CSP sector through 2035, with a projection that it would only make up 4.5% of electricity supply.
While solar only makes up a fraction of the global electricity supply today, the downward cost curve of technologies is pushing it toward a breaking point. By sometime in 2012, the installed cost of a crystalline-silicon solar PV system over 1 MW in the U.S. could dip to around $2.50 a watt. At around 2$ a watt we could cost-competitively meet around 30% of global electricity supply, says solar expert and Carbon War Room CEO Jigar Shah.
Shah believes solar can reach a 5% penetration level in the U.S. by 2020, with cost reductions coming mostly from innovations in hardware and installation, not dramatic improvements in the lab.
While the IEA is far less ambitious in its projections, the agency seems to agree that a “systems-based approach” to manufacturing and installation will be the key driver to reaching high penetration levels of different solar technologies. And rather than focus on specific subsidies for solar in the long-term, IEA says the most important incentive will be a price on carbon.
Solar is clearly proving itself without a price on carbon. With an effective pricing regime in place, a 30% penetration would almost certainly be low.
More at the linkThe International Energy Agency is notoriously conservative on projections for... more
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Ecotech Institute today announced that it is bolstering the wind energy training and safety labs, offering students access to cutting-edge equipment that prepares them for careers in the wind industry. According to the Department of Energy, wind power is the fastest growing energy source in the world. By using the newest equipment at Ecotech, students will have the most up-to-date training that employers want.
“Ecotech’s Wind Energy Technology Program is arguably the best in the world and our labs are a critical piece of the student experience,” said Mike Seifert, president of Ecotech Institute. “The ever-growing area of wind energy requires tremendous knowledge and a commitment to learn proper, safe techniques, which this equipment will help provide.”
Ecotech’s holistic teaching approach includes hands-on labs, soft skills (communication, workplace etiquette), math and science basics, technology and more. However, the labs serve as the showcase of the campus and Ecotech has purchased state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that students have the renewable energy training that will help them excel in their careers.
The labs, which will be complete in time for the first graduating class to enjoy, use a wide variety of real-life elements for complete training.
The Wind Training Lab now contains a generator trainer, fiber optic splicing kit, specialty tools, a Lab-Volt Wind Turbine Nacelle Trainer, Lab-Volt Wind Turbine Hub Trainer, and several wind farm simulation software packages.
The Wind Safety Lab now includes a 25-foot climb and rescue tower, Miller Evolution Harnesses and Lanyards, Rescue Randy dummy, Miller Safe Escape Rescue Device, Lab-Volt cranes and a rigging trainer. Ecotech will also soon have a TorcUP torque and tensioning trainer.
“The integrated systems approach offered by LabVolt’s Wind Turbine Training Simulators provide a very realistic view of the functionality and programming of a large, commercial wind turbine,” added Shawn Lamb, program director at Ecotech Institute. “These are leading-edge technologies that effectively prepare students and get them excited about going into the field.”
Ecotech Institute’s Wind Energy Technology program is a two-year associate’s degree program focused on the generation and transmission of energy using wind power. Designed with employer input, graduates will be prepared to enter the workforce as wind energy technicians.
This program might be right for people who:
• love working outdoors.
• want to help develop cleaner, more sustainable energy.
• are interested in working on mechanical devices.
• enjoy math and science.
• like working with power tools to assemble, repair or install.
Learn more about Ecotech’s Wind Energy program at www.ecotechinstitute.com/wind-energy-technology-schools.cfm.
Ecotech Institute, which is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, launched in Aurora, Colorado in April 2010 with seven highly practical degree programs and one certificate program that provide graduates with skills valued by today’s alternative renewable energy employers.Ecotech Institute today announced that it is bolstering the wind energy training and... more
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Some friends were having a debate. One basically doesn’t agree nor gets Occupy Wall Street. He saw it as a waste of taxpayer money. He pointed out the costs of police patrols. It was also brought up about how Bank of America reversed its decision to charge for debit cards. He stated that OWS didn’t really have anything to do with that. Then he mentioned me and said that maybe I had more influence. Not sure why, but it inspired me to write the following response:Some friends were having a debate. One basically doesn’t agree nor gets Occupy... more
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Now we have to consider something else, which when you do a comparison on the basis of single technologies, you are doing something wrong because this does not take into account the volatility of prices, especially fuel prices. This is the level of risk you have when you build comparison systems. In fact, It is my belief that when we talk about renewables, we should do so from the perspective of the portfolio theory that is widely used in finance, where you have some assets that have high risk and high return and others that have lower risk and therefore lower returns. Renewables are very low risk.Now we have to consider something else, which when you do a comparison on the basis of... more
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Say what you will about climate change – and even at this late date, divergent opinions abound – for those whose livelihood is rooted in the ground and for whom terroir is everything, the debate ended a long time ago. Several wineries around the world are turning to renewables energy and energy efficiency to fight the good fight, while others are rapidly moving in this direction.
http://bit.ly/vtKMjOSay what you will about climate change – and even at this late date, divergent... more
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Think of solar arrays and you'll probably picture panels under blistering desert heat – but we may be able to get more energy from solar panels on snow-capped mountains.
Kotaro Kawajiri at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology mapped solar irradiance across the globe in collaboration with colleagues in Japan. They found that some of the highest levels of sunlight can be found in the Himalayas and the Andes: at altitude, less light is lost to the atmosphere.
There's another reason why high-altitude solar power makes sense. At temperatures of around 40 °C, 13 per cent of the energy solar panels would normally produce is lost to heat. The cold air at high-altitude keeps the panels cool and efficient, says Kawajiri.
Keith Barnham, a photovoltaics researcher at Imperial College London, says cold climates may be the new frontier in solar. "There are a lot of underdeveloped regions and communities living high up in the foothills of the Himalayas that could benefit from solar energy," he says.
More at the linkThink of solar arrays and you'll probably picture panels under blistering desert... more
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Global energy consumption will increase by 53 percent over the next 25 years to a mind-boggling 225,700 terawatt-hours (770 quadrillion BTUs ) as water- and carbon-intensive fossil fuels continue to dominate the world’s economies, despite the global recession and the strong growth in the renewable sector, according to a new annual report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
About half of the projected increase in energy use will occur in China and India, the world’s first- and third-largest energy consumers, respectively. The two developing economies will account for more than 30 percent of the global energy use during the next two decades.
“China alone — which only recently became the world’s top energy consumer — is projected to use 68 percent more energy than the United States by 2035,” said Howard Gruenspecht, the administrator for the EIA, in a press release.
In general, however, the overall projections made in the EIA report only reflect laws and policies as they stood at the beginning of 2011. In other words, the report does not incorporate prospective legislation — in China, for example — that, together with oil-price volatility and the pace of global economic recovery, could significantly affect energy markets.
Coal Production and Consumption
China relies on coal for about 70 percent of its energy generation, consuming 3.15 billion metric tons (3.5 billion tons) of coal last year. Meanwhile, India has been steadily increasing domestic coal production, its major source of energy, reaching over 500 million metric tons (551 million tons) in 2010.
Though future generation from renewables, natural gas, and nuclear power will largely displace coal-fired production, coal will remain the largest source of world electricity through 2035, particularly in developing nations, according to the EIA projections. China alone will account for 76 percent of the projected increase in world coal use.
more at the link
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WE ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.Global energy consumption will increase by 53 percent over the next 25 years to a... more
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Eight19, a Cambridge, England-based solar firm specializing in off-grid applications, has kicked off the launch of IndiGo, a pay-as-you-go, personal solar electricity system for the developing world.Eight19, a Cambridge, England-based solar firm specializing in off-grid applications,... more
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Aujourd’hui, la plus récente version de Forumschiste l’Émission est dévoilée en ligne. Cette courte capsule web vidéo résume les activités et les faits saillants qui ont marqué les forums lors des dernières semaines qui ont été mouvementées.
Une version HD est aussi disponible pour Forumschiste l’Émission. Si vous désirez inclure des images dans un reportage, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter afin que nous puissions vous fournir cette version.
www.forumschiste.comAujourd’hui, la plus récente version de Forumschiste... more
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For those who don’t know, I am a Mason. I believe their philosophy of brotherly love to people, charity, and inclusiveness is in alignment with my own beliefs. I think more of that attitude needs to spread across the country. So earlier this week, I travelled with a group of brothers to a meeting at the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. It was a hot meeting as the Grand Lodge is not air conditioned, yet. Other than dripping through the whole thing, it was quite fascinating.For those who don’t know, I am a Mason. I believe their philosophy of brotherly... more
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The FBI has confirmed to ABC News that federal agents are conducting a search this morning at the offices of Solyndra, the now-bankrupt California solar power company that received $535 million in federal loans under a green energy program touted by President Obama.
The raid is part of a joint operation between the FBI and the Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General, Public Affairs Specialist Peter D. Lee said Thursday morning. Lee said he could not disclose the reason for the raid because the matter is under seal. Karen Sulier, a spokeswoman for the Department of Energy's inspector general's office, confirmed its part in the probe.
Beginning in March, ABC News, in partnership with the iWatch News/the Center for Public Integrity, was first to report on simmering questions about the role political influence may have played Solyndra's selection as the Obama administration's first loan guarantee recipient. Federal auditors had flagged the loan, saying some applicants had benefitted from special treatment.
One of the lead private investors in Solyndra was an Oklahoma billionaire who served as an Obama "bundler," raising money during the 2008 presidential campaign.
The bundler, George Kaiser, has declined to comment. His firm, Argonaut Ventures and its affiliates have been the single largest shareholder of Solyndra, according to SEC filings and other records. The company holds 39 percent of Solyndra's parent company, bankruptcy records filed Tuesday show.
Energy officials have repeatedly denied those allegations, saying the selection process was even handed. Until two weeks ago, the Obama administration held out Solyndra as a model for its green energy program, which was devised to create jobs and spur investment in cleaner sources of energy. President Obama personally visited the Solyndra plant last year, and his Energy Department made it the first to win approval of a federal loan guarantee. The $535 million federal investment enabled the company to build a sprawling manufacturing facility.
Last week, Solyndra abruptly shut its doors, announced it was laying off 1,100 workers, and then filed for bankruptcy. Executives with the company and federal energy officials said the company's failure was the result of intense competition from China.
But questions about the federal support for Solyndra continued to grow. In May, ABC News and iWatch News reported that officials at the Office of Management and Budget had raised concerns about the risks of the Solyndra loan, and that the Energy Department had been forced to restructure the deal.
On Wednesday, ABC News and iWatch News reported that Solyndra had also benefitted from the terms of a loan with the Federal Financing Bank. The extremely low interest rates for its loan were the lowest of any Energy Department recipients.
'The FBI Is Here This Morning'
"The FBI is here this morning executing a search warrant," Solyndra spokesman David Miller told iWatch News Thursday. Asked what records the agency was seeking, Miller said: "I can't talk about that. I don't know."
He said the search took the company by surprise. "We'll cooperate with them and given them whatever they are looking for, but certainly it was a surprise," Miller said. "I came to work this morning and they were here and I've been sorting it out."
About the inspector general's involvement, Miller said, "I don't know if that's true. I've only dealt with the FBI agents who were here on site."
Energy officials continued to maintain their decisions about the company were all above board.
"The Department of Energy conducted exhaustive reviews of Solyndra's technology and business model prior to approving their loan guarantee application," said LaVera,. "Sophisticated, professional private investors, who put more than $1 billion of their own money behind Solyndra, came to the same conclusion as the Department: that Solyndra was an extremely promising company with innovative technology and a very good investment."
Republicans in Congress launched their own investigation into the loan program earlier this year, and ABC News confirmed this week that the senate also has questions about the Solyndra loan.
"How did this company, without maybe the best economic plan, all of a sudden get to the head of the line?" said Rep. Fred Upton, R.-Michigan, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in an ABC News interview last week. "We want to know who made this decision ... and we're not going to stop until we get those answers."
"The Department of Energy conducted exhaustive reviews of Solyndra's technology and business model prior to approving their loan guarantee application," said LaVera,. "Sophisticated, professional private investors, who put more than $1 billion of their own money behind Solyndra, came to the same conclusion as the Department: that Solyndra was an extremely promising company with innovative technology and a very good investment."
Republicans in Congress launched their own investigation into the loan program earlier this year, and ABC News confirmed this week that the senate also has questions about the Solyndra loan.
"How did this company, without maybe the best economic plan, all of a sudden get to the head of the line?" said Rep. Fred Upton, R.-Michigan, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in an ABC News interview last week. "We want to know who made this decision ... and we're not going to stop until we get those answers."
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fbi-raids-connected-energy-firm-solyndra/story?id=14473051The FBI has confirmed to ABC News that federal agents are conducting a search this... more
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Update: Solyndra announces it plans to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is suspending operations and seeks a reorganization. Click here for the company's full statement.
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Solyndra, a major manufacturer of solar technology in Fremont, has shut its doors, according to employees at the campus.
"I was told by a security guard to get my [stuff] and leave," one employee said. The company employs a little more than 1,000 employees worldwide, according to its website.
Shortly after it opened a massive $700 million facility, it canceled plans for a public stock offering earlier this year and warned it would be in significant trouble if federal loan guarantees did not go through.
The company has said it will make a statement at 9am California time, though it's not clear what that statement will be. An NBC Bay Area photographer on the scene reports security guards are not letting visitors on campus. He says "people are standing around in disbelief." The employees have been given yellow envelopes with instructions on how to get their last checks.
Solyndra was touted by the Obama administration as a prime example of how green technology could deliver jobs. The President visited the facility in May of last year and said "it is just a testament to American ingenuity and dynamism and the fact that we continue to have the best universities in the world, the best technology in the world, and most importantly the best workers in the world. And you guys all represent that. "
The federal government offered $535 million in low cost loan guarantees from the Department of Energy. NBC Bay Area has contacted the White House asking for a statement.
Some Republicans have been very critical of the loans. "I am concerned that the DOE is providing loans and loan guarantees to firms that aren't capable of competing in the global market, even with government subsidies" Florida Congressman Cliff Stearns told the New York Times.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Solyndra-Shutting-Down-128802718.htmlUpdate: Solyndra announces it plans to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is suspending... more
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In the past week and a half, two U.S., based solar materials manufacturers, Evergreen Solar Inc. and SpectraWatt Inc. filed for bankruptcy. The filings were made following a second quarter that was dismal for most solar companies as subsidies reduced at the same time that modules flooded the market, forcing manufacturers to lower prices to remain competitive.
At least one analyst thinks more companies could follow suit.
One of the biggest drivers for Evergreen’s bankruptcy was the mercurial fall in the price of silicon. When the cost of silicon was high, Evergreen developed a method called string ribbon technology that used less silicon in the manufacturing process.
“Unfortunately for Evergreen, polysilicon prices tumbled, from a high of $475 per kilogram in early 2008 to $52 today,” Bloomberg reported.
SpectraWatt couldn’t compete with inexpensive modules from China, said CEO and Chief Restructuring Officer Brad Walker.
"United States-based manufacturers are under a great deal of stress because of the emergence of manufacturers in China, who receive considerable government and financial support," said Walker.
China has invested $11.5 billion in its solar manufactures recently.
This could be just the beginning of a shakeout in the industry.
“It’s clear that the weaker, less cost-competitive companies are having problems. So, yes, there are a lot of private companies out there that we don’t know the balance sheets of, so it’s hard to say [how they'll do],” said JP Morgan analyst Christopher Blansett. “There are a lot of small private companies trying to participate in the solar PV food chain, and foreign companies trying to get into the playing field. Even competitive companies have extremely poor gross margins right now.”
The fluctuation in solar subsidies across the world is likely to significantly impact the solar industry, according to Blansett.
“The subsidies supporting the industry continue to decline [particularly where they’ve been the strongest, in Europe]. Those countries have driven the majority of demand and profits in the industry so far,” he said. “Those same subsidies are scheduled to decline significantly in Germany and in Italy within the next 12 months. The most profitable region is cutting subsidies at the fastest rates.”
With the potential loss of those subsidies, the industry may face more dire straights.
“Solar’s nowhere near being self-sustaining. When we first launched [coverage] on the sector back in ‘07, we said: ‘No subsidies, no industry.’ We still see that’s true,” Blansett said. “We need subsidization for a number of years before it can stand on its own.”
While some companies may fail, others will are likely to survive the tumult.
“We’re definitely seeing stronger business models float to the top. The companies that have executed well are going to survive longer and do better, and we’ve definitely seen that in Evergreen’s case,” Blansett said. “We’re seeing good and bad business models go in their appropriate directions.”
Evergreen’s plight could have taken a very different route, however, had it done some things differently or if the timing was different, according to Blansett.
“It all depended on what the debt holders were going to do. If [Evergreen] got debt holders to trade debt for equity, the company might not have declared bankruptcy. But [debt holders] weren’t willing to do that,” he said.
Evergreen also may have made its salvo, a move to China, too late. If Evergreen Solar's move to China happened a year ago, they might not be in this position now, according to Blansett.
http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com/solar-energy-news/major-solar-companies-file-for-bankruptcy-082611/In the past week and a half, two U.S., based solar materials manufacturers, Evergreen... more
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By Andrew Webster
Solar powered vehicle chargers are becoming increasingly popular, but until now we haven't yet seen a wind powered EV charger. Enter the Ecotricity turbine powered charger in Reading, England.
Located in a business park, the EV charger is able to power two cars at once, and actually makes use of solar power as well as wind. In addition to a wind turbine it features a large solar panel for gathering energy.
The charger is free-to-use and reportedly can fully charge a car in under two hours. While it is the first dual-power charger to be installed, Ecotricity has also been building what's being called the "Electric Highway," by installing solar-powered EV chargers at motorway service stations across the UK.
12 stations are expected to have chargers installed by next month while 27 will have them in the next 18 months.
"We're creating the infrastructure to get Britain's electric car revolution moving," said Ecotricity founder Dale Vance.
"This marks the beginning of the end for the old combustion engine. With world oil prices going through the roof, you'll now be able to get around Britain using only the power of the wind It costs just over 1p a mile in an electric vehicle, compared to 15.4p in a petrol car (at today's oil prices)."
Via InhabitatBy Andrew Webster
Solar powered vehicle chargers are becoming increasingly popular,... more
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