Results tagged “solar panels”

Some solar companies are stepping up to help the people of Haiti after a devastating earthquake flattened entire swaths of the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, leaving behind scores of injured residents and claiming untold numbers of lives.

Geek.com spotlights some of the companies that are generously contributing to the relief efforts. SolarWorld sent solar panels to power ten water pumping stations and solar streetlamp maker Sol has sent 15 units and plans to send 100 more.

Well done!

Photo Credit: Jeremy Levine Design - Creative Commons

Good news Garden State residents, our beloved New Jersey is second only to California in installed solar, but number one in solar installed per square mile. One of the reasons is that incentives are accelerating the payback period.

CNBC reports:

Considering all three sources of funding, their contractors estimate that it should take the couple a little under five years for the solar panels to pay for themselves. "We thought it would take longer, like 10 to 12 years," adds Bob.

There's something in it for businesses too:

For its distribution hub in Woodbridge, N.J., FedEx Ground has a similar deal. The company is allowing BP to install and operate a solar power system on its roof, while FedEx Ground buys the energy created to power its building.

"It's less expensive than getting power from the utility," says Paul Viccaro, managing director of facilities at FedEx Ground. FedEx has three other facilities with solar roofs, all located in California.

[via Slashdot] Photo credit: zone41/Flickr - Creative Commons

I hadn't heard of the company until Engadget posted a hands-on today either, but it looks like they have a winner on their hands

Devotec Industry's Solar Sound Bluetooth unit is a compact little speaker system that scores on many fronts. While not a stunner, its looks are inoffensive. It's got Bluetooth, so that you can pair it to your iPhone wirelessly (don't worry, there's also a 3.5mm audi jack).

And the reason I'm mentioning it in this blog, it charges its internal battery with a solar panel (approx 8 hours worth of use on a 24 hour charge). Best of all, according to Engadget, it sounds good on all but the highest volume levels. And it only costs $79!

Source

Rich Miller of Data Center Knowledge profiles i/o Data Centers' massive, 538,000 sq ft Phoenix ONE facility. Here are just two of the eco-innovations:

An enormous rooftop array of solar panels, which will eventually generate as much as 4.5 megawatts of power for the data center - nearly three times the capacity of Google's rooftop solar array at its California headquarters.

A variety of energy efficiency features, including low-power LED lighting on the data center floor, ultrasonic humidifiers for climate control, highly efficiency computer room air handlers (CRAHs) using plug fans, high-efficiency chillers, and perimeter flooring made from recycled car tires.

For the full story, read the article now!

Don't you just hate it when someone hides behind old, antiquated "rules" to screw you over? That's what's happening to Mary Clark, a rancher in Sarasota County, Florida.

You see, she installed a half-million-dollar solar panel array thinking that she would do her part and contribute some renewable energy to the grid and save tremendously on her power bill. But it was not to be...

But instead of cutting her monthly energy bills from roughly $5,000 to $1,000, Mary Clark's 300-panel solar array has saved little. Florida Power & Light buys the excess energy from Clark's ranch and sells it back to her for twice as much.

Though legal, the charges reveal flaws in a new state law designed to promote solar power by reimbursing private producers for their excess energy.

Read the rest of the blood-boiling article at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune website. At least Clark is a class act.

The United States is becoming a hot bed of solar manufacturing activity, no pun intended. And it's not only the American companies that are enjoying the perks of being a cleantech and renewable energy concern.

Companies based in other countries are getting in on the action too. The Green Wombat reports:

German solar company Schott on Monday cut the ribbon on a $100 million factory in Albuquerque, N.M., that will produce solar panels as well as receivers for solar trough power plants. Meanwhile, Chinese solar giant Suntech said Monday that it will build a solar cell manufacturing plant in the United States.

Schott's new plant is creating 350 "green collar" jobs, but that's just the start. The company, which makes photovoltaic modules--solar panels to you and me--and tubes for solar concentrators plans to increase that headcount to 1,500 over the long term and build out the plant to 800,000 square feet from 200,000 today.

Suntech is weighing its options, undoubtedly deciding on which state(s) offer the best incentives. A decision is expected in the next six months.

If you're a victim of the Great Recession, sounds like a good time to dust off that resume and see what the sun has in store...

It seems that solar panels are sprouting up all over. It's all well and good, but how do you get started.

The Daily Green has put together a neat guide that demystifies getting solar power generation equipment installed at your home. One of the most helpful parts of the guide is one of the most befuddling aspects of an install: cost.

Project Budget: Solar electric systems are not cheap and usually cost more than expected. Modest systems start at around 5K but the majority fall in the 20K-40K range. There are federal and state incentives and rebates to take advantage of that will significantly decrease out of pocket costs. It may not be possible to produce 100% of the energy you use and many systems are supplemental, producing as much as space and/or budget allow.

The cost becomes more reasonable when looked at as a long term investment. After all, you are pre-paying for your electricity at a fixed rate for what could be the rest of your life and providing free energy for your kids and grandkids. People often complain about a long payback period, but isn't any payback whatsoever a good thing no matter how long? What's the payback on the last car you bought? A PV electric system is a risk free investment with a guaranteed payback.

Be sure to read the rest of the article for some cost analysis examples and a nice little roundup of online resources.

Source: The Daily Green