Sidwell Friends, SolarCity and Common Cents Solar Saving Energy

Posted on June 4, 2012 by quest

Sidwell Friends School is generating its own electricity from sunlight and reducing its impact on the environment and utility grid thanks to 224 new solar panels. The new 53-kilowatt system is the result of a unique partnership between the school, SolarCity and Common Cents Solar. The new solar system will generate clean solar electricity and create thousands of dollars in electricity bill savings for the school over its lifetime.”Solar electricity offers Sidwell Friends the environmental benefits of carbon free energy production, financial savings and rich teaching opportunities,” said Michael Saxenian, Assistant Head of School and CFO of Sidwell Friends School.

SFS worked with Common Cents Solar, a local non-profit that facilitates solar projects, to launch a program of community-based “solar bonds”. The bonds will be repaid over about ten years after which the SFS community members may donate the system to Sidwell Friends, providing free energy for the remaining life of the system, estimated at 20 years or more. In 2010, the school and CCS installed a 120-panel system on the SFS Lower School gym roof using a similar financing model.

“Nonprofits have an underutilized financial gem—their own dedicated community. Involving their community in the move to solar has a multiplying effect– exposure, sense of ownership, collective pride, increasing awareness of the viability of solar,” said Ketch Ryan of Common Cents Solar.“Schools can go solar today and start saving on utility bills tomorrow, and free up additional funds for student services,” said Leon Keshishian, Mid-Atlantic Vice President for SolarCity. “A lot of schools are feeling the budget crunch and solar can be an answer—I think a lot of school administrators would be surprised at how inexpensive and easy making the move to solar can be.”

Do it Yourself Renewable Energy

California Leading US Clean Energy Revolution

Posted on May 31, 2012 by quest

Clean Edge’s third annual State Clean Energy Index, released today, provides the industry’s most comprehensive and objective analysis of how all 50 states, and the individuals, businesses, and organizations that operate there, compare across the clean-energy spectrum. According to Clean Edge’s assessment and ranking of more than 70 different indicators in technology, policy, and capital, the top 10 states in the nation this year are California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado, New York, Illinois, New Mexico, Vermont, and Minnesota.

Clean Edge managing director Ron Pernick said,“Against the backdrop of partisan attacks and general inaction within Congress, the state-level scene shows a diversity that crosses political boundaries and regions. The next decade will determine which nations, states, and cities lead in clean tech, and our State Index provides critical insights on the dramatic shifts and best practices that are leading the way within the U.S.” Key market indicators tracked by Clean Edge via its State Clean Energy Index subscription service include total electricity produced by clean-energy sources, hybrid and electric vehicles on the road, clean-energy venture and patent activity, and policy regulations and incentives. The 2012 State Index paints an important and insightful picture of the U.S. clean-energy landscape. For example; California’s clean-energy venture capital dollars in 2011 exceeded the total of all the other 49 states combined. The number of registered hybrid cars in the U.S. grew to nearly 2 million while all-electric vehicles neared the 50,000 registered-vehicle milestone. Six states, twice as many as last year, now generate more than 10 percent of their utility-scale electricity from wind, solar, and/or geothermal.

An executive summary of this year’s State Index is available. The executive summary provides a glimpse at topline findings from the State Clean Energy Index report, the centerpiece of a larger advisory subscription service. Along with access to the full State Index report – containing detailed Index results, comprehensive data tables, and individual state report cards – subscribers receive custom presentations, clean-tech company database access, and advisory hours.

Solar Powered Electronics

Intersolar North America Focusing Energy Storage

Posted on May 30, 2012 by quest

Intersolar North America will feature a close look at advanced energy storage and its impact on renewable energy generation. Intersolar North America, the premier solar industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities in the U.S. solar market, returns to San Francisco July 9-12, 2012 for its fifth year. Co-located with SEMICON West, the event is expected to draw approximately 900 exhibitors and more than 22,000 registered visitors from more than 80 countries to provide a true global perspective of the solar industry.

This year, Intersolar North America features a new special exhibit that promotes innovative energy storage technologies. PV Energy World, located in the Moscone Center, North Hall will offer expert presentations on energy storage and grid integration. The informative exhibits and display boards will stimulate discussion among visitors. As the North American solar industry matures, energy storage has emerged as a key technology to optimize renewable energy generation. Storage enables greater flexibility for the power grid, thus accelerating the deployment of affordable solar energy. The successful commercialization and integration of new energy storage technologies promises to help boost the capacity of solar projects, ease concerns over grid strain and bring more large-scale plants online.

Janice Lin, Executive Director of the California Energy Storage Alliance said,”Energy storage offers the solar industry the opportunity to bring several goals to fruition, including faster grid interconnection, more precise timing of output, fewer curtailment and imbalance penalties, and the potential to secure valuable new revenue from wholesale ancillary services and capacity markets. Advanced  energy storage is poised to have a huge, positive impact on the solar industry in California and beyond, and the storage industry is very excited to see Intersolar North America cover this formative topic in such depth at this year’s conference and on the exhibition floor.”PV Energy World is supported in part by the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), an advocacy coalition committed to expanding the role of energy storage to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy. CESA counts storage technology manufacturers, renewable energy component manufacturers, developers and system integrators among its members, and this year marks the first time Intersolar will partner with CESA.

Manitoba Hydro Place LEED Platinum

SolaPad Ready To Charge Up IPads

Posted on May 28, 2012 by quest

SolaWerks, Inc. a newly formed subsidiary, of Domark International Inc. has announced confirmation that its new “SolaPad” are being prepared for shipment. The company anticipates pre-orders for “SolaPad” will be accepted via the SolaWerks website by the middle of this week. Deliveries to pre-order customers are anticipated to begin during the 1st week of June. The revolutionary new SolaPad product is an ever-charging solar and battery system that fits all versions of the Apple iPad. Once an iPad is placed into a SolaPad sleeve, there is theoretically no reason to ever plug the iPad into any wall-mounted charger again.

DoMark International Inc. has also announced the appointment of Brent Strasler as President of the Company effective May 25th, 2012. In addition, Mr. Strasler has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors. Strasler has over twenty years experience in both private industry and the public capital markets and has a broad range of skills and expertise in corporate governance, corporate finance, and other matters that are critical to ensuring that DoMark has the necessary stewardship to develop the assets of the Company. Mr. Strasler has owned and operated several businesses in a variety of industries focusing on restructurings, financings, mergers and acquisitions. His leadership has been instrumental in the successful reorganization, development, and expansion of several private companies in the diversified services, technology, and industrial manufacturing sectors.

Mr. Strasler has been directly involved in raising over $275 million in public financings for companies engaged in a wide range of industries and market capitalizations. Additionally he holds an Economics Degree from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA in International Finance from the University of Notre Dame. A new comprehensive business plan including financing and use of assets are central to the changes immediately being implemented by Mr. Strasler and the new board of directors. Mr. Strasler states, “DoMark is an exceptional company with a growth-oriented strategy to build on the Company’s market position quickly and decisively to benefit all shareholders. The changes needed for a strong corporate future are now underway.”

New York City Creates New Green Jobs

Solar Impulse Journeys To Morocco

Posted on May 24, 2012 by quest

As reported here back in 2010 and in 2011 the Solar Impulse is a plane worth keeping your eye on. Yahoo News is reporting that Solar Impulse took of this morning on it’s 1,554-mile journey to Morocco. The objective of the Solar Impulse is to demonstrate what we can do with existing technology in terms of renewable energy and energy savings,” project co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg said last year.

A solar energy plane made the world’s first international flight powered by the sun yesterday to show the potential for pollution-free air travel. “The objective is to demonstrate what we can do with existing technology in terms of renewable energy and energy savings,” project co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg said. Borschberg believes such solar-harnessing technology can be used to power cars and homes. “It is symbolic to be able to go from one place to another using solar energy,” The Solar Impulse project began in 2003 with a 10-year budget of 90 million euros and has involved engineers from Swiss lift maker Schindler and research aid from Belgian chemicals group Solvay. San Francisco solar company   SunPower announced it is providing solar cells to the Solar Impulse project which requires 12,000 solar cells.

With an average flying speed of 70 km/h, Solar Impulse is not an immediate threat to commercial jets, which can easily cruise at more than 10 times the speed. Project leaders acknowledged it had been a major challenge to fit a slow-flying plane into the commercial air traffic system. This is the first transcontinental flight for the aircraft which is expected to the city of Rabat next week. A larger prototype is scheduled to fly around the world in 2013.

Topaz Solar Farms The Worlds Largest To Date

Saudi Arabia Going Solar With $109 Billion Investment

Posted on May 21, 2012 by quest

If you thought solar energy was just a passing fad and not really a serious contender for supplying power for an energy starved world, think again. The revelation that Saudi Arabia has announced a $109 billion plan to create a solar industry that will generate a third of the nation’s electricity within two decades, could silence many skeptics. When the world’s largest source of oil goes solar that should wake everybody up! The Saudi Arabian Market would provide significant opportunities for the Solar Industry. “We are not only looking for building solar plants,” Maher al-Odan, a consultant at the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, said in a recent interview. “We want to run a sustainable solar energy sector that will become a driver for domestic energy for years to come.” Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, hopes to have 41,000 megawatts of solar capacity by 2032 said al-Odan. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance the nation trails Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates with only 3 megawatts of solar installations.

Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on the Solar Industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Solar Industry and provides equity research on Trina Solar Limited TSL +1.93% and JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd.Trina Solar Limited is a leading manufacturer of high quality modules and has a long history as a solar PV pioneer since it was founded in 1997 as a system installation company.

JA Solar Holdings is a leading manufacturer of high-performance solar power products. The company sells its products to solar manufacturers worldwide, who assemble and integrate solar cells into modules and systems that convert sunlight into electricity for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power generation. Five Star Equities provides Market Research focused on equities that offer growth opportunities, value, and strong potential return.