Solar Panels “Photosynthesis” Art In Milan Exhibit

Posted on April 16, 2012 by quest

Developers of solar technology are turning to nature to better understand how plants use the sunlight to store and use energy. The concept of solar trees is showing up all over the world. In Italy. Panasonic will showcase its total solutions for creating, storing, saving and managing energy at the Milano Salone del Mobile 2012 exhibition, which will be held in Milan this April. At this year’s exhibition, Panasonic will present an energy cycle, comparing it to an ecological cycle that begins with photosynthesis, starting with energy creation (through solar panels), and continuing to energy storage (through storage batteries) and energy saving (through LED and organic LED lights), with each stage of the cycle being controlled by an energy management system. The installation, which is the first outdoor exhibit for Panasonic, was designed by noted young architect Akihisa Hirata, whose organic vision of a living, breathing architecture reflects the open yet interdependent symbiotic cycles in nature.

“Based on the dynamic of photosynthesis, I envisioned the leaves, fruit and flowers of a tree linking the entire corridor space in a cyclical network of creating, storing and saving energy. A new image of human endeavor open to the limitless energy of the sun, to the energy channels we have built and to the cycles of the biosphere. I wanted to shape a new interpretation of nature at this historic juncture,” said Akihisa Hirata.

In response to the common goal of “shifting to sustainability,” Panasonic is working to make our lives more pleasant and reduce our impact on the environment. The 2012 installation “Photosynthesis” exemplifies this dual ecology approach in a controlled-cycle energy management “tree” with solar panel “leaves”, energy-storing battery “fruit” and energy-saving LED/OLED “flowers”. It’s a new experience and a new world of possibilities for these greening times.This installation takes place at INTERNI LEGACY, University of Milan.

Solar Energy And The Eyes of Dragonflies

Posted on April 16, 2012 by quest

An unknown inventor, Jong-Eun Lee from Korea, obtained an extraordinary patent on an unusual solar energy system from the government in a surprisingly short time. It is very unusual because the Korean government, which is famous for its thoroughness to examine patent applications, processed this particular case very rapidly.”It is a simple structure but my invention is very convincing,” says Jong-Eun Lee confidently. He got the idea from the eyes of dragonflies. Almost all the existing solar energy systems in the world use panels, which take up a lot of space and expense, whereas Jong-Eun Lee’s system uses only relatively small ball-type lenses that will collect sun light easily from every angle, virtually 360 degrees.

It takes a fairly small space and its durability is extremely long due to its simple structure. The inventor is strongly confident that it will inevitably change the existing concept of solar energy and he hopes that it will replace the nuclear power plant, which is treated more as a necessary evil.

It was no wonder that the first launch of this invention to EXCO 2012, Daegu, Korea, quickly captivated the visitors of Lee’s booth. In fact, his booth was filled with so many people that no one could pass by without asking questions on how it could be possible. His explanation was rather straightforward. “We human beings have chased the sun from the very primitive age until now because we have been trained to think that way, but the sun has been always there waiting to provide us with infinite energy.”And it is a fact that we unconsciously perceived that there was infinite resource in it when we played house with a magnifying glass to burn objects and the problem was that we could not go just one step further because of our limited imaginative power,” says the inventor. “My patent will speak for itself and the Korean government, which examined and granted me this patent, will prove it,” added Lee.

Sunset Idea Open House

Solar Power Landing At Edwards Air Force Base

Posted on April 12, 2012 by quest

Suntech Power the world’s largest producer of solar panels, recently supplied 3.4 megawatts (MW) of solar panels for a solar installation at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. The solar installation at Edwards Air Force Base was designed, financed, and installed by Borrego Solar, a leading national solar solutions provider, at no upfront cost to Edwards Air Force Base.The more than 12,000 solar panels provided for the project, which started generating power in February 2012, were made at Suntech’s manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Solar panels produced at Suntech’s Goodyear facility are compliant for procurement in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Buy American Act projects.

“This project was a big milestone for Borrego Solar and the military, as it demonstrates how public-private partnerships can succeed and provide the most effective means to drive large-scale solar energy systems on government property,” said Mike Hall, CEO of Borrego Solar. “Looking ahead, we are excited to work with more military and federal facility managers to help them take full advantage of the financial benefits that come from using solar to generate clean sustainable energy, and local jobs.”

Suntech’s Goodyear, Arizona, manufacturing facility was opened in October 2010. The Goodyear operation has steadily increased its workforce, adding a second shift in January 2011 and a third shift in May 2011. The state-of-the-art module manufacturing facility now runs twenty-four hours per day with more than 100 highly-skilled employees. The facility’s annualized production throughput is nearly 50MW, representing about 15,000 high-quality solar panels per month, or enough to power about 10,000 homes. In December 2011, Suntech Arizona was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of the best places to work in Arizona.

Amy Smart Honors Claremont As A “Green City”

Winning The Solar And Renewable Energy Race

Posted on April 12, 2012 by quest

In the global race to secure private clean energy finance and investment, the United States reclaimed the top spot, after trailing China since 2009. Globally, investment grew to a record $263 billion in 2011, a 6.5 percent increase over the previous year, according to new research on clean energy financing in Group of Twenty (G-20) nations released by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The United States attracted $48 billion in clean energy investment, a 42 percent increase over 2010. This helped propel the addition of 6.7 gigawatts (GW) of wind and, for the first time, more than 1 GW of solar energy, enough to power 800,000 homes. Total U.S. installed renewable energy capacity at the end of 2011 was 93 GW, second to China. However, America will be hard-pressed to sustain last year’s success in the wake of now-expired Treasury grants and the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee programs. Also, the production tax credit concludes at the end of this year.

“In 2011, the global clean energy sector grew again, the U.S. reclaimed its lead as the top destination for private investment, and consumers reaped the rewards of significantly reduced prices for clean energy technologies, such as solar panels, which are now nearly 50 percent cheaper than a year ago,” said Phyllis Cuttino, director of Pew’s Clean Energy Program. “And yet, the yo-yo effect of U.S. clean energy policy hurts the ability of the United States to consistently compete and turn U.S.-led innovation into manufacturing, deployment, and export opportunities. Creative, stable, and transparent policies remain a critical signal to private investors.”Read the full Report - U.S. Retakes Lead From China in Clean Energy Race

Even The Water Commutes To LA

Solar Pioneer To Keynote Solar Exchange At Rutgers

Posted on April 11, 2012 by quest

In partnership with Rutgers University , the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (NJHEPS) and the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association (MSEIA), Solar Exchange East provides an opportunity for dialogue among innovators and thought-leaders in the solar industry, including engineering management, OEMs, end users, developers, solution providers, academia, researchers, associations and financial institutions. After three years, thousands of participants and events at Arizona State University, North Carolina State University and the University of California Los Angeles, the Siemens-hosted Solar Exchange takes its unique industry forum and networking event to Rutgers University on May 16, for a day of discovery and dialogue on the latest emerging topics, innovations and trends within the solar industry

The event, which is geared towards professionals currently working in the solar market, will be held on Rutgers’ campus in Piscataway, NJ. Dr. Ramamoorthy Ramesh, director of the SunShot Initiative and Solar Energy Technologies Program for the Department of Energy will be the keynote speaker. Event host, Siemens, has been committed to the solar industry from as early as the 1950s. “NESEA is delighted to partner with Siemens and Rutgers on this event as it dovetails with our mission to connect sustainable energy professionals to each other and to the cutting edge information they need to improve their practice. The timing for this event is perfect, given the growth of solar power in the Northeast,” says Jennifer Marrapese, director of NESEA.The event is free to attend, registration is required. Individuals interested in participating may register at www.usa.siemens.com/solarexchange.

“This event offers a strong and broad agenda that will include presentations on Rutgers’ current campus solar projects and our research and academic programs supporting solar initiatives,” said Michael J. Pazzani, vice president for research and economic development at Rutgers. “This university has a leadership role in technology development and policy issues connected to solar, so we’re pleased to host such an influential meeting.”The event will feature round-table networking sessions, offering attendees the ability to increase their knowledge about products, solutions, services and associates within the solar industry in the Northeast, gather new perspectives and learn new methods. Topics for the event include solar panel manufacturing, energy storage and related technologies, New Jersey SREC programs and policies, smart metering and net monitoring, solar PV projects on university campuses and the bankability of solar projects in the Northeast. The day includes a tour of Rutgers seven-acre Livingston Solar array and an evening reception.

ClimateWorks Foundation Appoints Julie Blunden New CEO

Kendall Jackson Winery Has A Taste For Solar Power

Posted on April 10, 2012 by quest

U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson and local business leaders convened today at Kendall-Jackson’s Wine Center to celebrate the company’s commitment to sustainability and unveil the solar cogeneration system, now supplying solar hot water and electricity to power the winery’s extensive tank and bottle washing operations.“Our founder Jess Jackson was a trailblazer who made sustainability a core part of Kendall- Jackson’s DNA largely through innovation,” said Kendall-Jackson’s Vice President of Sustainability Robert Boller. “We’re thrilled to take this leadership position with Cogenra by installing the largest rooftop solar electricity and hot water rooftop system to date and two upcoming installations at our other production sites. It’s a win for the environment and our bottom line.”

Cogenra partnered with local installer SunWater Solar to construct the array on the roof of Kendall-Jackson’s Kittyhawk winery. The solar cogeneration system provides up to 60 percent of the building’s hot water needs, with the electricity powering lighting and cooling. In addition to this initial solar cogeneration project, Kendall-Jackson will install Cogenra arrays at their Vinwood estate in Sonoma County and an additional winery in Monterey County. Expanding on Kendall-Jackson’s existing energy and water conservation projects, the 96-module, 241kW hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermal array is expected to save approximately $30,000 in annual energy costs.

“The wine industry, and especially Kendall-Jackson, have been leaders in the sustainability movement,” said Gilad Almogy, CEO of Cogenra Solar. “Solar cogeneration is quickly becoming one of the industry’s most effective tools to maximize the impact of solar energy production to meet both electricity and hot water needs. We commend Kendall-Jackson for their sustainability leadership and look forward to deploying future projects.”“This partnership between two great California companies is proof that business can boost the bottom line while helping the environment,” said U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson. “Innovative new energy technologies, like Cogenra’s, and smart, progressive businesses, like Kendall-Jackson, will drive job creation in the years ahead.”