Solar Power To The Island People

Posted on September 12, 2011 by quest

Visitors landing on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands will notice a 1,600-foot-long array of ground-mounted solar panels paralleling a runway at Cyril E. King Airport. The 450-kilowatt system, to be unveiled on Sept. 14, is prominent among a recent series of high-performance SolarWorld solar panel installations to counter high power rates on U.S. island territories.These sun-washed islands, heavily reliant on burning imported oil products to generate power, are using SolarWorld technology to tap their own plentiful energy resource to produce clean electricity and avoid power prices ranging around 40 cents a kilowatt-hour, compared with the national average of 9.7 cents. Operations of SolarWorld, the largest U.S. solar panel producer for more than 35 years, began supplying U.S.-centric islands around 1980.

“Tropical islands may be the stuff of fantasy,” said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld Americas, “but the reality of island electricity rates is driving strong adoption of SolarWorld panels as an effective form of rate relief. Employees of installer OneWorld Sustainable of Lexington, Ga., worked to install the 1,806 panels at the Caribbean airfield side-by-side with students from the University of the Virgin Islands who were seeking hands-on training, said Tim Blackwell, president and CEO of OneWorld Sustainable.

Bali Hai

Seventeen buildings in American Samoa will soon generate electricity using solar panels, another step in cutting the island’s reliance on burning No. 2 diesel oil for power generation. SolarWorld will supply the 350 kilowatts of solar panels to be installed on 10 schools and seven government buildings on the U.S. territory in the South Pacific. The project, to be installed by Island Energy and Marine of Pago-Pago, Samoa, comes on the heels of a 680-kilowatt installation using SolarWorld panels on 24 buildings. Funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the buildings included 10 commercial, 12 government and two non-profits buildings. On the U.S. western Pacific territory of Guam, records for solar system size seem to fall every few months. Scott Hagen of Pacific Solar and Photovoltaic completed a 24.84-kilowatt installation on a library at Guam Community College late last year, then commissioned a 29.4-kilowatt system on a college health education building in May. SolarWorld’s U.S. manufacturing is a key selling feature to his customers, Hagen said. “We get approached by Taiwan and Korea to buy their products because they’re just around the corner, but it’s very important to us to support the U.S. economy,” he said.

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Solar Modules Fuel For Electric Bikes in Germany

Posted on September 12, 2011 by quest

Kyocera Corporation today announced that it has supplied its high-performance solar modules for a carport roofing installation in southern Germany which provides power for a charging station for electric cars and bikes. The system was designed and installed by BLU”e” Solar Group GmbH. Electric-powered automobiles and bicycles are becoming increasingly popular in Germany as they provide a convenient and eco-friendly method of transportation. As a result, there is a growing need for charging stations to meet increased use. Furthermore, this solar-powered charging station is not only environmentally friendly but also economical; currently, charging at this location is free of charge to the public. The energy used to ‘fill the tanks’ comes from 248 high-efficiency 215-watt Kyocera solar modules which produce an output of 53.32kW.

Kyocera modules provide excellent performance and high reliability which is demonstrated by the fact they are the first in the world to have passed the Long-Term Sequential Test performed by TUV Rheinland Japan Ltd. “We have selected Kyocera solar modules because we are impressed with the company’s product quality,” stated Werner Steinbrunner, managing director of the BLU”e” Solar Group GmbH.

This solar-powered charging station is just the latest in a long line of projects that Kyocera has been involved in that bring innovative alternative energy solutions to the market. For example, Kyocera solar modules also produce power while providing shade for cars at the Solar Grove in San Diego, California. In Japan, Kyocera introduced the Solar Cycle Station for charging electric bicycles; as well as the Eco-Shell co-developed with Sekisui Jushi Corporation — a multi-purpose solar-powered shelter for use in public places where shelters provide cover against the sun and rain such as bus & taxi stops, benches and walkway coverings.

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Solar Powered Robotics Survey The Worlds’ Seas

Posted on September 9, 2011 by quest

The Savannah Ocean Exchange proudly announces that Liquid Robotics of Sunnyvale, CA is the recipient of the 2011 Gulfstream Navigator Award. The Gulfstream Navigator Award 2011 recognizes the best solution to positively Shape the Future of Our Coasts. Liquid Robotics’ “Wave Glider-Autonomous Ocean Vehicle” was selected by participating delegates during the inaugural Solutions Exchange, held in Savannah GA September 7-8, 2011, and was presented with the 2011 Gulfstream Navigator Award by Mr. Joe Lombardo, EVP Aerospace Group, General Dynamics, the parent company of Gulfstream. The Wave Glider solution harvests energy from the environment and is able to travel long distances, hold station, and monitor vast areas of the ocean without the need for fuel or carbon emissions. A unique two-part architecture and wing system directly converts wave motion into thrust, and solar panels provide electricity for sensor payloads and satellite communications.

Wave Glider

The Navigator Award was given to the top solution submitted as part of the annual Call for Solutions issued by the Savannah Ocean Exchange Board of Governors in February 2011. An exclusive panel of experts from multiple disciplines, chaired by Dr. Nancy Knowlton of the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History, vetted solutions submitted from countries spanning the globe. The top ten solutions were developed as point solutions for the construction, defense, homeland security, marine research, robotics, coastal reclamation, energy, and shipping industries. Each finalist presented their solution to over 100 delegates who selected the award recipient.

Savannah Ocean Exchange brings together thought leaders around the world from cross disciplines that represent industry, education, research, technology, government and conservation. Led by a multi-disciplinary, 29-member Board of Governors, the organization sources and accelerates the adoption of solutions that positively impact economies and the environment. “The breadth and scope of proven, economically sustainable solutions that were submitted to compete for the 2011 Gulfstream Navigator Award were outstanding,” says Cort Atkinson, Co-Founder and CEO of the Savannah Ocean Exchange.

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Yingli Solar Joins GRID Alternatives’ Solarthon

Posted on September 9, 2011 by quest

Yingli Green Energy, a leading solar energy company and one of the world’s largest vertically integrated photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers, which markets its products under the brand “Yingli Solar,” announced today that its U.S. subsidiary, Yingli Green Energy Americas, Inc., is the Presenting Sponsor of Solarthon, nonprofit solar installer GRID Alternatives’ annual fundraiser that brings together hundreds of individuals, teams, solar job trainees, and corporate participants to install multiple solar energy systems in one day for low-income homeowners. The first of the five events takes place on Saturday, September 10th in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood in San Francisco.

“We’re pleased to have worked with GRID Alternatives to install over 250 projects for low-income families to date and are proud to be their Official Solar Module Provider,” said Helena Kimball, Head of Marketing Communications, Yingli Americas. “These unique Solarthon events are a great way to advance our mission to bring cost-effective solar power to the communities who need it most, while creating local job opportunities and growth.” “Every single GRID Alternatives home installation provides thousands of dollars in savings for working families and two days of on the job training for ten job seekers – and we average 15 home installations per week. Because of Yingli Solar’s support, we have been able to multiply this impact hundreds of times over,” said Erica Mackie, Co-Founder, GRID Alternatives.

As Presenting Sponsor and Official Module Provider of GRID Alternatives, Yingli Solar will supply solar modules for 50 participating families from neighborhoods in San Francisco, San Diego, Fresno, San Louis Obispo and Los Angeles during the five Solarthon block parties. The systems will eliminate more than 4,400 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and generate $1.3 million worth of renewable energy savings for families living on very low incomes. The sponsorship of these Solarthons is part of the collaboration between Yingli Solar and GRID Alternatives to install 1 MW of solar energy systems for 400 low-income families throughout 2011. These installations will create thousands of hands-on job training opportunities in PV installation while helping underserved families with immediate financial savings.

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SolarCity Goes Solar Strong

Posted on September 8, 2011 by quest

SolarCity took a major step in an initiative that could double the number of residential solar photovoltaic installations in the United States. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the offer of a conditional commitment for a partial guarantee of a $344 million loan to help secure financing for SolarCity’s “SolarStrong” project. As part of the project, SolarCity plans to partner with the country’s leading military housing-privatization developers to install, own and operate up to 160,000 rooftop solar installations on as many as 124 military housing developments across 33 U.S. states. The project is expected to create more than $1 billion in solar projects and 371 megawatts of new solar generation capacity. USRG Renewable Finance, a subsidiary of U.S. Renewables Group, will serve as the lead lender for the project in partnership with BofA Merrill Lynch.

“Thanks to the Energy Department’s leadership and resolve, we can now bring an unprecedented opportunity to privatized military housing across the U.S.” “We’re extremely grateful to the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, in addition to our partners, U.S. Renewables Group and BofA Merrill Lynch. Without this group, we would not have been able to make the economics of this project work,” said Lyndon Rive, SolarCity’s CEO. “Now the solar industry has a debt model that can make distributed generation affordable on a massive scale.” SolarCity, which currently employs more than 1,200 people in 11 states, will create new jobs and help jumpstart the renewable energy industry in up to 22 additional states, some of which have very little solar generation capacity today. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratories’ (NREL) Jobs and Economic Development Impact model, the SolarStrong installations would be expected to create nearly 6,000 direct job-years related to the installation and ongoing maintenance of the systems. SolarCity hopes to fill as many of the jobs as possible with U.S. veterans and military family members.

The SolarStrong projects will likely include installing solar on other privatized buildings on military bases, such as community centers, administrative offices, maintenance buildings and storage warehouses. The first SolarStrong-eligible project — a coordinated effort between real estate developer Lend Lease and SolarCity — is already underway at Hickam Communities at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. When completed, that project alone will provide renewable power to more than 2,000 military family homes.

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Solar Powered Farming Takes Root With Cali Growers

Posted on September 7, 2011 by quest

By Kate Campbell – With harvest in full swing, trucks laden with bell peppers, watermelon and onions unloaded at a rapid pace last week at Morada Produce near Linden. Crews washed and packed the produce into boxes before a chain of forklifts carried the market-bound food to coolers. Harvest activity is being played out across California right now, but there’s something different about Morada Produce: The company’s energy-intensive packing and cooling activities are costing a fraction of what electricity bills totaled in the past.

Skip Foppiano, owner of Morada Produce, pointed to a newly installed two-acre, 390 kilowatt solar energy system outside his office. The once-unpaved employee parking lot is now shaded by four canopies of solar photovoltaic panels that measure more than 40,000 square feet. The company spent nearly a year researching solar technology to determine the best system for its needs and carefully analyzed the investment decision to determine cost benefits and eventual payback. Foppiano said the new system supplies 60 percent to 70 percent of the energy needed for the farm’s packing and cooling activities.

Company owner Skip Foppiano said the system helps the company hedge against increased energy costs, is good for the environment and provides shaded parking for company employees. The solar energy is delivered from the onsite system when utility rates are at their highest, he explained. “Our family has been farming here since the Gold Rush,” Foppiano said. “We’ve always tried new technology to stay competitive. Solar helps us do that and it’s the right thing to do for the environment.” Foppiano said the farming operation worked very closely with Pacific Gas and Electric Co., county government and the equipment vendor to complete the project. An investment tax credit and historically low interest rates helped make the system “pencil out,” he said, adding that payback will take about nine years—or less—depending on future energy prices. An increasing